


Sanders Side Drabbles

by Beautiful_Doom



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Verses, Angst, Comfort, Domestic, Drabbles, Fluff, Hurt, Panic Attacks, Remus being Remus, Some Swearing, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Sympathetic Deceit, loving family, touch starvation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-13 00:49:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 182
Words: 91,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20165398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beautiful_Doom/pseuds/Beautiful_Doom
Summary: Little stories about our favorite Light and Dark Sides.





	1. Smokey Eye

**Author's Note:**

> If you like these stories, please comment. I also take requests if anyone is interested in suggesting any prompts or scenarios. Also, if anyone wants to make fanart or share the links for these fics, you are all welcome to do so.

“Just a little eyeliner... yes, very good. And then we follow with the eyeshadow. You must be careful or you’ll look like a raccoon. Of course, if that’s the look you’re wanting, then have at it.”

Virgil stood still as Deceit used his multiple hands to put his makeup on. Virgil had wanted to wear some, but didn’t know the first thing about applying it. Thankfully, Deceit had some experience in the matter.

“Then you want to smudge it lightly for that beautiful smokey effect.” Deceit carefully smudged both eyes and then stood back. “Yes, I think this is a wonderful look on you, my little storm cloud.”

One hand held up a mirror while the others began to pack away the brushes and makeup into a little bag. Virgil excitedly looked at himself, smiling at his reflection. But even as he did, he started to squirm and bite his lip.

“You don’t think... it’s a bit much?” He asked, sounding unsure of himself.

“Virgil, you’re asking a man who has literal scales on his face,” said Deceit. “I hardly think a little eye makeup is going to make you look strange...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like these stories, please comment. I also take requests if anyone is interested in suggesting any prompts or scenarios. Also, if anyone wants to make fanart or share the links for these fics, you are all welcome to do so. I also have a tumblr blog that you can come hang out on at beautiful-doom.tumblr.com


	2. Taste

It was quiet for once. Remus had stopped his absurd chatter in favor of painting Deceit’s finger nails. He held a scaled hand as he carefully painted the nails black. 

Deceit himself was busy looking through his phone at things the Fanders had posted. While he didn’t care much about public opinion for himself (LIE!), he knew a certain storm cloud did, and so he always made sure said opinion was firmly in the green lest someone get upset and need comfort.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts, that it took him a moment or two to realize that Remus had stopped his painting. Deceit looked up to see the green Side staring curiously at the nail polish brush. Remus slowly stuck out his tongue, and Deceit knew immediately what was about to happen.

“That won’t taste good,” he warned. Remus paused, looking between Deceit and the brush. Maintaining eye contact with the other, he slowly began to bring it towards his tongue.

“Remus,” Deceit said. “That will not taste good.”

Remus painted a black stripe down his tongue and smacked it into his mouth. Deceit sighed as Remus tilted his head, considering the flavor.

“Remus, I did warn you.”

“Yes, but I still wanted to know what it tasted like.”

“And? How does it taste?”

“It would taste much better if I spread it over my deodorant first...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like these stories, please comment. I also take requests if anyone is interested in suggesting any prompts or scenarios. Also, if anyone wants to make fanart or share the links for these fics, you are all welcome to do so. I also have a tumblr blog that you can come hang out on at beautiful-doom.tumblr.com


	3. Spiders

“Patton, I already removed the spider from the premises,” Logan sighed, looking up at the Side that was currently standing on the couch. Patton had been up there ever since he’d seen a spider crawling on the floor earlier.

“But can you be sure?” Patton asked, gripping the arms of his hoodie. “I mean, do spiders have families? Maybe there are others somewhere around here.”

“Spiders do not live in groups or colonies once they reach adulthood,” Logan said. “They live solitary lives to greater improve their chances of catching prey.”

Patton looked unsure, glancing around on the floor with wide eyes. After a moment, he slowly stepped down with a sigh.

“Ok. You know better about this than I do. I’m trusting you, Logan-”

“Sweet Mother of Elphaba, look at that size of that spider!” 

“Roman!” Logan angrily glared at the smirking Side. Patton screamed once again and climbed up Logan’s back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like these stories, please comment. I also take requests if anyone is interested in suggesting any prompts or scenarios. Also, if anyone wants to make fanart or share the links for these fics, you are all welcome to do so. I also have a tumblr blog that you can come hang out on at beautiful-doom.tumblr.com


	4. Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Touch Starved Deceit, as requested by Probably_Insane

It had taken a lot of time and effort to get to this moment.

Remus had always wanted to touch Deceit’s scales, but any attempt had always ended with Deceit slapping his hand away, a hiss, or even a flash of fangs. But Remus was never one to give up once had a goal in mind, and this one was not a goal he was going to get distracted from.

He’d started researching how to pet animals and reptiles on youtube, trying to see if snakes had that magic spot much like dogs or cats had. Such efforts yielded no results, so Remus would have to just get... creative.

He’d wait until Deceit was exhausted and passed out on the couch of their shared space before making his move. A gentle poke became a careful stroke, and then finally he was running his fingers through Deceit’s hair. The Side had stiffened in his half asleep state, but he eventually mellowed out and even leaned into the touch.

It took much longer for Remus to be able to touch Deceit while the other was awake. Deceit had confessed that he wasn’t used to physical touch since none of the other sides saw an appeal in his scales. Trust the Trash King to be the only one who did.

Still, Remus was determined. He worked and worked until Deceit’s icy exterior slowly melted and he came to eat the proverbial treat from Remus’s palm.

And that had all led to now.

Remus held Deceit’s head in his lap, fingers once again in his hair. His free hand was rubbing the other’s shoulder and back. He hummed softly as did so, a lullaby the rabbit masked, axe wielding murderer hummed in the game he loved to play. Who says horror games couldn’t give you pretty things?

Deceit closed his eyes and made little noises every time Remus stroked the scales on his face. He was still a bit sensitive in that area, but Remus was working to help him get used to it. But for now Remus moved his hand back to Deceit’s shoulder.

He wouldn’t move faster than what Deceit was comfortable with.


	5. Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stargazing Logan and Virgil, as requested by BlackWolfFire

“Sirius is the brightest star of the night sky. Sirius is a binary star consisting of a main-sequence star of spectral type A0 or A1, termed Sirius A, and a faint white dwarf companion of spectral type DA2, termed Sirius B. The distance between the two varies between 8.2 and 31.5 astronomical units as they orbit every 50 years. Sirius appears bright because of its intrinsic luminosity and its proximity to the Solar System. At a distance of 2.6 parsecs, as determined by the Hipparcos astrometry satellite, the Sirius system is one of Earth's nearest neighbors.”

“Whoa,” Virgil glanced over at the other Side. “And you said the constellation is a dog?”

Logan nodded, returning Virgil’s glance. “The constellation Canis Major is also known as The Great Dog. Granted, there are a few myths about it being a gift from various deities, but the most common myth states it is one of Orion’s hunting dogs.”

“I like that one,” Virgil said softly. “That way Orion won’t be lonely.”

Logan glanced at he anxious side again. They were both unable to sleep for different reasons, and yet they had both ended up on the same spot on the roof. Virgil wouldn’t say much so Logan had launched into lessons on the various stars, and Virgil had even started responding after a while.

“What about that one?” Virgil pointed to another star. “Which one is that star?”

“Ah, that one is Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra....”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like these stories, please comment. I also take requests if anyone is interested in suggesting any prompts or scenarios. Also, if anyone wants to make fanart or share the links for these fics, you are all welcome to do so. I also have a tumblr blog that you can come hang out on at beautiful-doom.tumblr.com


	6. ASMR

“ASMR?” Virgil looked up from his phone and raised an eyebrow at the screen Remus was showing him. “I highly doubt watching people cut fake hair or tap on a table is going to help me get to sleep faster.”

“Oh, but this isn’t your Grandma’s ASMR,” Remus tapped on the keyboard a few times. “This is the ASMR I listen to, and I think it might be more suited for you too. Look.”

Virgil glanced at the screen again and did a double take. 

“Buried in a garden? Harvesting session? Is that a plague doctor? What the hell is this?”

“I told you,” Remus grinned and set the laptop down. “Give it a try, it might help you. I’m quite partial to the plague doctor’s videos. I’m his favorite patient in the asylum, after all. Praise like that...” He sighed happily and Virgil felt a twinge of guilt and sympathy in his stomach.

“I’ll try it out, Remus,” Virgil was already summoning his headphones. “Thanks... you know, for... for showing me this.”

“No problem!” Remus beamed. “We look out for each other, right?”

Virgil chuckled softly. “Right.” 

After Remus left, Virgil selected a video that sounded good and then laid down. He fell asleep much faster than he usually did.


	7. Disney

Roman had been sent down to the shared space of the Darker Sides (coined by Patton. “They’re not dark, they’re just darker than we are.”) to ask if they’d like to join the rest of the family for dinner. Patton had been doing all he could to include the other two sides.

As Roman descended the stairs, he could hear a familiar voice singing.

_I admit that in the past I've been a nasty_  
_They weren't kidding when they called me, well, a witch_  
_ But you'll find that nowadays_  
_ I've mended all my ways_  
_ Repented, seen the light, and made a switch_  
_ To this_

Roman peered around the corner to see his twin singing while washing the dishes. Remus had his back to the stairs, so he did not see Roman walking in. Roman decided to stay and watch, shocked that his brother knew a Disney song.

Remus continued to sing and bop to the song, now scrubbing a rather large knife.

_And I fortunately know a little magic_  
_It's a talent that I always have possessed_  
_ And dear lady, please don't laugh_  
_ I use it on behalf_  
_ Of the miserable, the lonely, and depressed._

_Poor unfortunate souls_  
_In pain, in need_  
_ This one longing to be thinner_  
_ That one wants to get the girl_  
_ And do I help them?_  
_ Yes, indeed_  
_ Those poor unfortunate souls_  
_ So sad, so true_  
_ They come flocking to my cauldron_  
_ Crying, "Spells, Ursula, please!"_  
_ And I help them_  
_ Yes I do_

From here, Remus had put away the now clean knife and was starting to really get into the song. He moved and posed much like Roman did when he sang, causing Roman to stifle a chuckle. He’d never really spent time with Remus. After the split, Remus had stayed with Roman for a little while, but the other’s darker nature had caused him to be driven downstairs to be looked after by Deceit. The snake had promised to take good care of Remus.

_Now it's happened once or twice_  
_Someone couldn't pay the price_  
_ And I'm afraid I had to rake 'em 'cross the coals_  
_ Yes I've had the odd complaint_  
_ But on the whole I've been a saint_  
_ To those poor unfortunate souls_

Remus’s voice had lifted to belt out that last line, and that was when he finally noticed Roman. His face lit up with a twisted smile.

“Brother! How nice of you to come visit us in our cozy little abyss. What brings you down here?”

“I was just... um, dinner is ready,” Roman said, still reeling from his brother’s voice and choice of song. “Patton wanted me to... I’m sorry, but I had no idea you liked Disney.”

“Of course I do,” said Remus. “I just don’t like those bland cookie cutter princes and princesses. But the villains... now that’s where the true creativity lies. And everyone knows that the villains get he best songs.”

“That is not true!” Roman growled defensively. “You know what? Dinner is ready and you can come or stay here. I really don’t care.”

He stomped back up the stairs, hearing Remus cackling behind him.


	8. Hearts

"Can you do this?” Roman made a heart shape with his hands. Remus looked at it curiously before doing the same with his.

“I can. See?” He smiled proudly.

“No, that’s upside down,” Roman frowned. Indeed, Remus’s heart was upside down.

“What do you mean?” Remus looked at his heart. “I did exactly what you did.”

“No, yours is upside down,” Roman pointed out.

“Well maybe yours is the one that’s upside down,” Remus crowed. “You ever think of that, Brother?”

“Just... just do what I do,” Roman sighed in frustration. “Here, put one hand up and make a half.”

Remus copied Roman’s movements, holding up a hand that made one half of a right side up heart.

“Good!” said Roman. “Good. Now hold up your other hand and make the same shape and put them together.” He demonstrated with his other hand, creating a heart with both.

Remus did the same, but as soon as his two hands joined, the heart flipped upside down.

“See?” He said. “I did exactly what you did.”

“But... but it’s upside down,” said Roman.

“You’re just unable to see things from a different perspective like I can!” Remus snapped. He stood up from the couch and walked off. “I don’t have time for you nagging at me like a hen pecking out my eyes, I have to go check on Dee’s dinner. He’s sensitive to tastes and if it burns even a little he can’t eat it.”

Roman sighed as his twin disappeared down the stairs. The heart was upside down. Why couldn’t Remus see that?


	9. Onesie

“Listen... I’m so sorry-”

“We’ve done this plenty of times before.”

“But I still feel guilty,” Patton sighed sadly. “You were so young and I just... I didn’t try hard enough to help Roman with his problems with you, and he grew up to dislike you. And then I just handed you over to Deceit because I thought he could take better care of you.”

“Dee told me everything,” said Remus. “You did try. You just didn’t know how to handle me. I suppose I can’t blame you, I am a big mess.”

“But you’re part of the family now,” said Patton. “And I wanted to give you something to show it.” He smiled and held up a black and white piece of clothing. “It’s a onesie for you for our movie nights!”

Remus looked shocked. He took the onesie and felt how soft and warm it was. It only took him a moment to figure out what kind of onesie it was.

“Is this a... skunk onesie?” He asked, rubbing his fingers against the cloth.

“Yeah! Since you love being so stinky, I thought I’d get you a nice skunk onesie- hey, are you ok?” Patton suddenly looked concerned. “Are you crying?”

Remus sniffled, rubbing the onesie against his face. “No,” he said. “Just... I have something in my eye.”

“And what’s in your eye?” Patton asked.

“TEARS!” Remus bawled. Patton pulled the other Side into a hug, rubbing his back and comforting him. He had failed Remus before, but he wasn’t going to fail him again.


	10. Cookies

Logan paused when he turned on the light in the kitchen. It was rather late at night and he had come down for a glass of water... only to see that he wasn’t alone. Virgil was staring at him from across the room, hand literally stuck in the cookie jar. Patton had baked chocolate chunk cookies earlier and put the rest in the jar to be shared and enjoyed by all.

Looking closer, Logan could see that the reason why Virgil’s hand was stuck was because he was clutching too many cookies to pull his hand back out.

“Virgil, you need to grab a smaller amount of cookies,” he said. “The amount you have is causing your fist to be much too large to remove it from the top of the jar. I recommend only grabbing two.”

Virgil was silent for a moment, eyes flicking from the jar then to Logan. Logan could practically see the figurative gears moving in Virgil’s mind.

“Or...” Virgil said slowly. “I could just take the whole jar with me.”

“I... I suppose you could do that too,” said Logan. “That would solve your problem.”

“Great! Thanks for giving me permission to do that, Logan.” Virgil grabbed the nearby glass of milk he had poured and carried it along with the jar past Logan and back to his room.

“Wait, I didn’t mean- Virgil, return that jar at once!” Logan scrambled after Virgil, his need for water forgotten.


	11. Doodles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There are mentions of penises in this chapter, but in an educational and nonsexual way.

Patton had hung up a white board for the other Sides to write positive messages or create little doodles as they pleased. Of course Remus was the one who erased everything and drew a large penis instead.

He cackled to himself as he put the finishing touches on his artwork. As he stepped back, he noticed Logan was standing nearby and had narrowed his eyes at Remus’s picture.

“Oh, Logan!” Remus smiled. “What, does this offend you? Does my creativity offend you?”

“The only thing that offends me is how inaccurate that diagram is,” Logan said.

“Hahahahaha- wait, what?” Remus seemed confused. 

“Allow me to,” Logan began flipping through his cards, “’Drop some knowledge on ya’. If I may have that, please.”

Logan took the marker from Remus and began to erase and correct the picture on the board. Logan began mentioning things like how the glans was too big or how Remus had forgotten the dorsal vein and other things. Remus just silently watched, nodding along with Logan’s lecture. When Logan was finished, a medically accurate and labeled picture of a penis was on the board instead of Remus’s doodle.

“There,” Logan capped the marker. “I hope you learned something from this.”

“It’s... beautiful,” Remus said in awe. The picture was amazing in his eyes.

“Glad to be of assistance,” said Logan. “And here is your marker back.” He handed the marker back to Remus and then walked off to do something else.

“Oh goodness!” Patton had appeared and seen the whiteboard. “Who has been drawing naughty things? Well, let me just erase this and Roman can draw something else.”

“NO!” Remus ripped the board from the wall, scattering the other markers. He hissed loudly at Patton. “No, he drew this for me! You can’t have it!”

Patton watched Remus take the board and disappear back to his room. He was still confused when he put a new board on the wall, but decided to let it go. Logan himself had said it was best to just... ignore Remus’s eccentricities.


	12. Writer's Block

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As requested by Julie

Things were not going well for Roman.

Thomas had wanted to create another video and asked for Roman’s help with it. Roman had been the one to tell Thomas to leave it all to him. He’d create a great script for a video and Thomas would love it. Thomas had agreed, and he’d been thankful as he had many other things he needed to do.

The only problem was, when Roman sat down to work on the script... nothing came to him. No ideas, no words, not even something vague or abstract. Roman struggled to think, but still nothing came to mind.

Roman had a week before the script was needed, so he focused on his goal and nothing else. He lost sleep, he skipped meals, he holed himself up in his room bent over his writing table with his quill and ink, but... nothing. 

Roman growled in frustration as he crumpled his latest attempt, nothing more than scribbled words that made no sense. The pile by his trash can had grown huge, but he still kept at it. Patton had tried to drag him away, but Roman felt his time running thinner and thinner and really began to feel the pressure.

He locked his bedroom door and put a wall around his writing table so that he would no longer be distracted. The papers seemed to mock him, empty of anything useful to Thomas, but Roman was determined. He would create a script for Thomas, no matter what.

On the day in question, Thomas entered his living room and summoned Roman for his script at the time they had agreed on. The sight that greeted him was Roman looking like a zombie from a horror movie. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were wrinkled, there were bags under his vacant stare. Thomas blinked and stepped towards him in concern.

“Roman, are you ok? You look awful.” Thomas said, putting a hand on the other’s shoulder. Roman didn’t even look at him, couldn’t look at him. His face filled with shame, and he could feel tears welling up in his eyes.

“I don’t have it,” he said softly. 

“You don’t have what, Roman?” Thomas asked.

“I don’t have the script. I... I’m sorry...” Roman sniffled as the tears finally fell. He covered his face with his hands as a pitiful whine escaped him.

Thomas immediately pulled the other into his arms, whispering comfort and reassurances. The video could wait. They’d just do something different now. It would be ok. But Roman barely heard him. All he could think about was how he had failed Thomas. And he had failed at the one thing he was supposed to be in charge of.


	13. Sweet Tooth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be fluffy and funny...

It was obvious from the get go that Deceit hadn’t expected to be summoned.

For one thing, he was missing his usual outfit. Instead of his fancy clothes, he was wearing a pair of fluffy pajamas with a silky black and yellow robe. Plus he was holding a massive bowl of ice cream.

The ice cream itself was a monstrosity the likes of which Thomas had never seen. He could count four different flavors of ice cream, there was a small mountain of whipped cream and chocolate sauce, three huge cookies, and an enormous and fluffy brownie shoved into it as well.

Deceit still had the spoon in his mouth as he looked at the others with wide eyes. You could see the internal battle within where he was trying to choose between his dignity and his snack. After a moment, he swallowed his mouthful and simply hid the rest behind his back.

“Well... this is different. I don’t think I’ve ever been summoned before,” Deceit said as he drew himself up to a more proper posture. He looked as if he was trying to hide the fact that he’d been caught acting as anything else than his usual suave self.

“Holy sprinkles,” Roman chuckled. “Forget a sweet tooth, Snake Face as sweet teeth.”

“Rude!” Deceit snapped his face towards Roman. “I’ll have you know this belongs to your brother. I was merely making it for him because I can be nice too.”

“Is that so?” Roman folded his arms. “Because I know my brother enough to know that he hates ice cream. Says it’s too cold on his teeth. So try again, De-sweet.”

Deceit hissed at the insulting nickname. He should just toss the ice cream aside and leave them to clean up the mess.

But he really really wanted that ice cream. He’d spent a good chunk of time just preparing it. He wanted the sweet fruits of his labor. Especially since he’d been having such a rough week.

“If it’s truly not yours,” Logan said slowly. “Then allow me to just take that off your hands.”

He reached out to take the bowl, but pulled his hands back with a yelp when Deceit angrily snapped his teeth at them and hissed.

_“No, it’s mine! You can’t have it! It’s one of the few good things I have left, just let me have this little bit of happiness!”_

Deceit panted harshly at his outburst, staring at the others with wild eyes. His canines had extended into snake fangs, and he clutched his prize closer to himself. Without another word, Deceit quickly sunk out, leaving the others shocked.

“Wow...” Patton said softly.

“What the hell just happened?” Virgil asked.

Patton didn’t have the heart to scold Virgil for his language.


	14. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A human sides circus/carnival au? Or just an excuse to feature fire dancing?

Patton had begged Logan to accompany him to the state fair. While it wasn’t really Logan’s thing (unhealthy food, unsafe rides, rigged games), he agreed only because Patton asked. Patton wanted to go so badly, but he didn’t want to go alone. Logan simply reminded himself that this would be for Patton

He rode a few creaking rides and ate some grease that was cleverly disguised as food, but then Patton pointed out a tent that had shows and attractions. Logan followed Patton in and was surprised to find himself slightly intrigued. Pictures, specimens, antiques, mysteries of history and the universe... these weren’t bad. These were interesting. He moved away from a tank that held a few medical specimens and saw a small crowd gathered by an attraction. This one held-

Oh.

Oh my.

Logan stared, enchanted, at the man who was performing. He was very handsome and he moved with the grace and agility that looked like living art. He was twirling and dancing with fire. Fire rings, fire batons, fire fans, all moved expertly in his hands and put on a breathtaking show.

The man himself was shirtless and wearing only a pair of black pants that clung for easier movement. A snake tattoo could be seen up near the back of his shoulder, and his eyes seemed to glow almost a gold color in the flames of his fans. He finished his show and people put some tips into the little bucket he had.

Logan fished some bills from his wallet and dropped them into the bucket just in time for the performer to look up from the bottle of water he was drinking.

“Your donations are appreciated,” he said smoothly. His voice was as smoky as the fire he twirled.

“Ah...” Logan froze. “Yes, well... you did a very good job.”

He quickly left the tent and ran into Patton.

“There you are! Oh, are you ok? You look a little flushed.” Patton put his hand on Logan’s forehead, but the other shook him off.

“I’m fine, just... it was a little... hot in there.”


	15. King

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for blood and slightly disturbing energy

Thomas knew he was in trouble.

He’d been having a great dream, but there was that strange.... crack.

It was like a crack in the universe. Just standing there for anyone to walk through. Thomas wanted to know what was on the other side, so... he’d gone through it.

This was a side of the imagination he’d never seen before. Definitely not Roman’s realm. It was night time, completely dark save for the light of the full moon. The woods were thick and vast, and that was how Thomas had lost his way back to the crack.

It was so cold, the wind blowing and making Thomas shiver. He wrapped his arms around himself in an effort to stay warm. A nearby caw made him look up, seeing ravens with blood red glowing eyes staring down at him. With a yelp, Thomas ran. The ravens took flight after him and their caws seemed to mock him as he tried to get away.

Thomas finally made it into a clearing. There was blood in the snow, but the trees all around him were dizzying and all looked the same and he couldn’tfindhiswayhewantedtoleavepleasehelp-

_“Someone’s here...”_ Thomas heard a whisper echo around him. He looked around jerkily, trying to see who had spoken.

_“Someone who doesn’t belong here...”_

_“How rude! Entering the forest of our king...”_

_“No manners at all...”_

_“We cannot let this stand.”_

_“He should be punished!”_

Thomas watched as three women in blood stained white dresses appeared. Their hair was long and tangled, their eyes were wide and sunken in, their mouths stitched and twisted in grotesque ways. They all held out their skeletal arms towards Thomas, slowly walking closer and closer.

_“Punish him!”_

_“He does not belong!”_

_“For our king!”_

Thomas was surrounded and unarmed and terrified out of his mind.

“No!” He spun around to look at them all. “No, please! I’m lost I don’t know how I got here! Roman! ROMAN HELP!”

One of them grabbed him, digging her broken nails into his skin. Another had pulled a knife and was raising it up-

But then a shockwave went through the trees and pushed them all down. The women all began gasp and pulled themselves up in a position as if they were bowing to someone.

_“Our king is here!”_

_“We are loyal to our king!”_

_“Praise our dark king!”_

Thomas gasped when he saw who it was. It was Remus. He was wearing his usual outfit, but he was also wearing a heavy black fur cape and a silver crown upon his head.

“Re-” Thomas tried to speak, but Remus waved his hand and Thomas felt as if he had just swallowed a block of ice. He couldn’t speak at all! Remus took Thomas by the arm and began to drag him away from the other women.

“Stupid of you to come here,” he growled. “This is not Roman’s kingdom, it’s mine. You won’t find any flowers or singing birds here...”

He drew his morningstar and swung it, causing a large hole to appear out of thin air. On the other side, Thomas could see the flower fields of Roman’s kingdom, and he sighed in relief.

“Let this be your warning,” said Remus. “Do not come back here without me. You may not be the same person when you wake up..."


	16. Nyah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Very short, but I couldn't resist.

“It’s like, you know, nyah.”

“What?” Logan looked up from his book.

“Nyah!” Patton, dressed in his cat onesie, put his hands up to mimic paws and struck an adorable pose.

“Stop.” Logan went back to his book.


	17. Fire 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> By popular demand, and per the request of tiredandalone

Logan was surrounded by fire. 

He looked around in fear as the flames roared around him, trying to find a way out. All those fire safety courses ran through his mind, but nothing had taught him what to do when the flames had surrounded him completely.

Suddenly, a figure stepped out of the flames, joining Logan in the small space that had yet to be consumed. It was the man from the fair. The fire dancer. The flames had parted for him as if he was some kind of fire god. He was wearing the same outfit from the tent, his bare chest showing off a thin sheen of sweat from the heat. His hair was wild and tousled from the heat, and his eyes were half lidded.

He moved closer, and Logan stood frozen in his spot. The fire had moved close enough to touch him, but it didn’t burn. It just made him feel feverish and warm. The man moved closer and Logan could smell burned sandalwood and other scents come from him. 

It was intoxicating.

“Wait, we need to leave-” Logan fell silent when the man cupped his cheek with a hand. Logan tried to speak again, but his voice failed him as the man leaned forward. Logan could smell the sandalwood and now he could taste the smoke and it was all around him and overwhelming and he wanted more and-

Logan jerked awake and quickly sat up, trying to catch his breath. He was hot under the covers of his bed, feeling a bit of sweat on his forehead. He licked his lips and swore he could still taste the smoke lingering on them from when the man...

Logan shook his head with a groan. What was wrong with him? He had to be sick or something. Something he had eaten at the fair had given him food poisoning and fever dreams. That was the only explanation.

Still...

In the back of his mind, Logan had a desire to visit the fair again. If only to see the oddities of that tent again.

It had nothing to do with that fire dancer. Nothing to do at all.


	18. Dogs

“You know, it’s strange,” Thomas said, looking at the happy corgi in front of him. “I expected Logan to be a corgi.”

“And why is that?” Asked the German Shepherd on his right. Said dog was wearing glasses and a blue tie. The corgi was wearing glasses too, but a gray hoodie was tied around his neck.

“Well... corgis are always praised for how smart they are,” Thomas explained.

“Well maybe you should _paws_ and rethink that, Kiddo,” said the Corgi who was actually Patton.

“Even as a dog, he’s making puns,” Logan sighed, sinking into a more comfortable position on the floor.

“Well, I feel fabulous,” a poodle that was wearing a red sash waltzed into the room. “This spell isn’t so bad after all.”

“How long did the Dragon Witch say it would last?” Thomas asked, reaching over to give Patton belly rubs.

“Yeah, Princey...” came an irritated huff. A hoodie wearing pug was sprawled on the couch. “How long until I can walk on two legs again?”

“A few hours at most Virgil,” Roman sat down. “Then we’ll all be back to our usual selves- OOF!”

Roman was promptly tackled by a borzoi that was wearing a green sash.

“Brother, we’re dogs! Hold still, I need to sniff your butt!” It was Remus.

“Remus, you keep your snoot away from my royal keister, or I’m going to neuter you!” Roman growled as he stumbled away. Remus whined loudly, dramatically falling to his side.

“Brotheeeeer! Why won’t you let me greet you properly? I’ll let you sniff mine too!”

“Remus, leave Roman alone,” a pitbull snuffled from the corner. It was wearing a bowler hat and cape. “All these loud sounds are giving me a headache.”

“Guess the gangs all here,” Thomas sighed, pulling Patton into his lap. Logan curled up next to him and silently demanded his own pets. Virgil eventually waddled over to nap with Logan, and Remus continued to chase Roman around the house.

Deceit whined low in his throat, watching Thomas carefully. Thomas smiled and beckoned the other over. Deceit took up Thomas’s other side and happily snuffled as Thomas began to pet him too.


	19. Duke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decided to write some Child!Remus

“Welcome back, Remus,” Deceit smiled as the smaller side descended the stairs. “Did you have fun playing with your brother?”

He paused when he saw the sad and angry expression on the child’s face.

“What happened?” Deceit asked, feeling his protectiveness surge.

“We were playing and Roman said he was a prince and I wanted to be a prince too, but he said we can’t both be princes and he called it first,” Remus mumbled, folding his arms across his chest.

Deceit took a deep breath and let it out. Damn that brat. Roman could be rather mean when he wanted to be. Poor Remus only ever wanted to play with him.

“Well...” Deceit thought quickly. “Why do you have to be a prince? Why not be something else? There are more things to be than a prince.” He walked over to the bookshelf and began looking for a book.

“Huh?” Remus looked up, following him curiously. “What do you mean? Roman only ever talks about princes...”

“That’s because Roman lacks imagination,” said Deceit. He began thumbing through a book. “But you don’t, do you?”

“Nope!” Remus shook his head. “I have lotsa imagination!”

“Enough to be something else than a boring old prince,” Deceit showed Remus the book. “Look. Lords, Counts, Viscounts, Knights, Dukes-”

“Duke!” Remus poked at the picture on the page. “I wanna be a duke! Look, he has cool clothes and a big big house...”

“The biggest house,” Deceit agreed. “Much better than a castle. And dukes can do whatever they want without having to take care of a kingdom.”

“Oooh...” Remus’s eyes widened, and he smiled. “Yeah, I wanna be a duke!” He closed his eyes and his face contorted with effort. His clothing shifted into a dark and noble looking outfit, complete with a staff.

“All hail Duke Remus!” He cried, holding his staff high.

“All hail Duke Remus!” Deceit bowed low. “The best of all the dukes...”

“The best!” Remus agreed. He giggled and ran off, eager to play his new games with Virgil. 

Deceit put the book back and sighed. He’d need to have a talk with Patton about Roman’s behavior...


	20. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Single Father AU? Sure! BTW, I looked up the name I chose for Deceit, and it said 'Anyone with this name can keep your secrets'. It also has the definition of 'To mislead' so I thought it was perfect for him.

Patton smiled at the children who were already playing at the park. Roman ran off to make friends while Logan tried to walk straight with his nose still stuck in his book.

“Careful, Kiddo,” he said, looking at the older child. “You might run into something.”

Logan gave a dismissive wave and turned the page, sitting on the bench next to his father. Patton ruffled his hair and noticed someone was sitting on the bench next to them. It was a man around his age with a much younger child in his lap. The little boy was clinging to him and half hidden in the man’s jacket.

The little boy noticed Patton looking and peeked out shyly.

“Imma sloth!” He said, lisping slightly from missing teeth. The man looked over in surprise, smiling at Patton.

“A sloth?” Patton chuckled. “With the way you’re hiding, you could be a joey.”

“Not Joey,” said the boy. “Name’s Virgil.”

“This is Virgil, my baby sloth,” the man chuckled. “He’s all tired out from his brother trying to sacrifice him.”

“Sacrifice?” Patton raised an eyebrow. The man chuckled again.

“His brother Remus is going through a bit of a Lovecraft phase,” he said. “He found my old books and read them all and now he’s trying to summon the Elder Gods. He has quite the imagination.”

“Sounds like it,” said Patton. “My name is Patton. This is my oldest Logan, and my son Roman over there is making friends with your Remus.”

“Lovely to meet you, Patton. My name is Juke,” said the man. “And it looks like Roman is Remus’s next sacrifice.”

Patton looked over to see Roman smiling and sitting while Remus waved his arms and spouted gibberish. Such a lively boy. Maybe he could be a good friend for Roman...


	21. Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some Child!Creativity Twins. With angst.

“Get out, Remus!”

“But, Roman-”

“Out!”

“I just wanted to play-”

“I don’t want to play with you anymore. You drew a picture of me getting hurt!”

“I thought you’d like it. I worked hard on it!”

“It’s scary. You’re scary!”

Roman growled and pushed Remus out of his room. The boys were still small, so he wasn’t able to push Remus far, but he kept at it.

“But I missed you!” Remus said as he tried to dig his heels in and halt Roman’s shoves. “You never want to play with me anymore, and I wanted to see you.”

“Boys, what’s going on?” Patton appeared, looking between the two. He had sensed the tension after Remus’s last gift to Roman. Roman himself had said he didn’t want to play with Remus anymore, and Patton wasn’t going to force him. Remus put him on edge as well. The boy was just... unpredictable, and he was worried Remus would cause actual harm to someone.

“He won’t leave me alone!” Roman pointed at his twin. “I told him to leave. He’s not like the Disney princes, he’s scary and bad!”

Remus felt a surge of anger. He knew he wasn’t like his brother, and he’d always hated that because if he was... maybe him and Roman would still be playing together. Maybe his brother would still love him. Maybe... maybe...

Remus’s eyes flashed a bright green, causing Patton and Roman to flinch.

“Remus? What-”

“Oh yeah?!” Remus roared. “Well, you wouldn’t have your stupid Disney movies if it wasn’t for the scary stories they were based off of! Did you know that Cinderella’s sisters cut off parts of their feet to make the slipper fit? Did you know that Snow White made the queen dance to death with hot iron shoes? Did you know Ariel didn’t get her happy ending? She died and turned into the foam on the sea! Your Disney only exists because of the stories my kind of imagination created! And you call me bad!”

“Remus! That’s enough!” Patton tried to fix the situation. The boys were all wound up and not thinking. They needed to just calm down and talk later when they were feeling better-

“You’re a liar just like your dad!” Roman shouted. “Your bad snake faced dad!”

Patton had to hold Remus back as the other lunged at Roman. Remus struggled, scratched, and even bit at Patton’s hands and arms as he tried to get free.

“You’re bad!” Roman said again. “And I don’t ever want to play with you again!” He ran into his room and slammed the door.

“Remus, calm down,” Patton set the other boy down. “You need a nap or something-”

“You’re not my dad!” Remus snapped. 

Patton flinched with a gasp, watching tears well up in Remus’s eyes.

“You didn’t want to be my dad...” Remus whimpered. He ran down the stairs to the other side and Patton sighed to himself. He had a bad feeling that there was no saving this. But he was still going to try...


	22. Author's Note (Sorry)

Hello guys! Sorry that this isn’t an update, but I just wanted to thank you all so much for all the kudos and comments. It really makes me happy to see so many people enjoying my work.

Now, I do have more ideas for this series, but I wanted to see if there was anything in particular that you guys wanted to see? I will write AU’s, ships, angst, fluff, comfort, hurt, romance, just not anything too sexual. Sorry, but I don’t write smut very well and it wouldn’t be fair.

Anyway, please comment if you have any requests and please stay tuned for more. I will also be working on the next chapter on my other story Goody Two Shoes.

Thanks and I hope you all have a wonderful day!


	23. Heathers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They may be Dark Sides, but they are part of Thomas. That means a weakness for Broadway...

Roman was the unlucky one who had been sent to retrieve Deceit after he hadn’t responded to his summoning. Honestly, why did Thomas even consider talking to that snake about this? Deceit would just have him lie and be an awful person!

Still, Thomas had wanted to speak to him, and it was now Roman’s job to drag him to their circle. He was unable to sink down directly into their area, so he’d had to sink down into the common are and then descend the stair case to the Dark Commons.

As he did so, he could hear... singing?

_I like!_   
_ Lookin' hot_   
_ Buying stuff they cannot_

_I like!_   
_ Drinkin' hard_   
_ Maxin' Dad's credit card_

_I like!_   
_ Skippin' gym_   
_ Scaring her_   
_ Screwing him_

_I like!_   
_ Killer clothes_   
_ Kickin' nerds in the nose!_

Roman recognized this song, it was from Heathers. Story aside, he did like the music a lot, but who could be singing it down here? He got his answer when he made it to the bottom of the stairs and peered into the kitchen.

Deceit and Remus both were singing and bopping and dancing along to the song playing on the stereo nearby. They were both wearing what looked like casual clothes and in their stocking feet. Hell, Deceit was even singing into a wooden spoon!

_Woah! Woah! Woah!_   
_ Honey, whatchu waitin’ for?_   
_ Welcome to my candy store_   
_ It’s time for you to prove_   
_ You’re not a loser anymore_   
_ Then step into my candy store_

And the worst part was... they actually sounded amazing! Roman prided himself on his singing voice, and he knew his brother could sing, but he’d always assumed that Deceit sounded like a dying cat and thus chose not to sing.

How wrong he was.

Deceit sounded just as good as the rest of them, and it made Roman mad. He couldn’t stand the thought of sharing talents with dark sides, however petty it may be.

Roman reached over and turned the music off, leaving the two singing by themselves. They slowly trailed off and looked over to see who had touched the stereo.

“Brother! How wonderful of you to visit. If you wanted to join in, you could have done so, no reason to turn off the music,” Remus smiled widely and shoved his hands into his jeans. Why was he wearing jeans anyway?

“I assume this has to do with Thomas,” Deceit set the spoon aside and fussed with the pots bubbling on the stove. “I thought I felt a summon earlier. Forgive me, I was a bit preoccupied.”

He snapped his fingers and went back into his cold and formal uniform, licking his fingers to smooth back a few strands of hair. Remus sighed and began to mind the pots himself as Deceit sunk out to answer Thomas’s call. Roman stared at his brother for only another moment more before he followed.

But as he left, he heard the music resume.


	24. Critters

Patton could hear the TV going as he walked down the hall to make breakfast. There was only one person who would be up at this hour, and that was Remus. While the Side hadn’t officially moved in with the Light Sides, he had started coming around more often to visit, and the others were slowly warming up to his presence.

Logan even said it was good for the other side to have more company around him, and Patton had agreed.

But now it seemed that Remus had some company of his own. Patton froze, seeing Remus sitting on the couch with... a raccoon and a possum. Both animals were lounging on either side of Remus while he pet and rubbed them gently. Obviously, they were pets or companions to Remus.

“Hey, Kiddo...” Patton said slowly. “Who are your friends?”

Remus glanced over, smiling widely at Patton. The two animals perked up at Patton’s voice and stared at the other Side curiously.

“This is Basura and Schund,” Remus said, pointing to the raccoon and possum respectively. 

“Oh...” Patton didn’t know what to say to that. “Are they... pets?”

“Kind of,” Remus shrugged. “They mostly stay in my forest, but sometimes I bring them out to play. Roman can conjure puppies, and I can conjure... other things.” He picked Basura up and kissed his head. “I find myself relating to them. I too... am a trash panda.”

Patton was pretty sure he didn’t want to know what those other things were. But he had to admit that Remus looked cute cuddling his little friends.

“Ok,” he said. “Um... just make sure they don’t make any messes. Breakfast will be ready soon.”

He turned and went to the kitchen, already thinking of what he was going to make. He opened the pantry to gather some ingredients, but froze.

And he let out a scream at the sight of the skunk that stared back at him from the shelf.

In the living room, Remus paused, and his eyes grew wide.

“Oh dear. I forgot about Spazzatura...”


	25. Chess

It was Logan who had conjured the chess set that sat in the living room. It sat on a simple table, always ready for a game. Granted, Logan didn’t have many people he could play against. He’d taught the others how to play, but they just weren’t as practiced as he was. 

Still, he kept it there in case anyone wanted to challenge him.

One day, he walked in to see Remus sitting in one of the chairs. He was staring off into space and idly gnawing on one of the bishops. Logan stifled a hiss and quickly walked over.

“Please put that down before you damage it,” he said calmly. That chess set was his prized possession and he didn’t want teeth marks on the pieces. Remus turned his head to look at Logan so quickly that something cracked. He set the piece back down and looked sheepish.

“Sorry... I always wondered what the pieces tasted like,” he shrugged and smiled apologetically. Logan sighed and sat down.

“Do you know how to play?” He asked. He’d never played against a dark side before. There was never a line of people eagerly waiting to play against Logan, but he’d managed to get by well enough playing against himself.

“I do,” Remus nodded. “Want to play? I’m bored...”

Logan shrugged. “A game sounds lovely.”

They began to play and Logan realized that Remus played the same way he did anything else: wild and randomly. He played moves that Logan had never heard of, moves that no player or even sane man would consider. Logan was quickly snapping up Remus’s pieces, but the other didn’t seem fazed.

Their moves slowed down until it came to a stand still. Remus was looking carefully at his pieces, fingers smoothing over his mustache in thought. Logan was already planning his next moves based on whatever Remus chose to do.

“It’s ok if you are not sure where to move,” he said. “Take your time-”

“Checkmate,” Remus moved his piece and smiled.

Logan faltered, looking again at the board. He analyzed each piece and path and realized... Remus was right. His moves had all seen wild and random, and yet... he’d managed to win.

“That was fun,” Remus was already putting the pieces back. “Another round? I bet you didn’t take me seriously the first time.”

“Sorry, I just...” Logan shook his head in disbelief. “I’ve never played against anyone who was skilled before. That was... that was remarkable!”

“Thanks,” Remus pushed Logan’s pieces over to him. “Deceit taught me to play. It’s how we spent our bonding time most days. And we were able to figure out that if I have something to focus on, the thoughts just... fade into the background.”

“Do they ever stop?” Logan asked, making his first move again. Remus cackled, but his tone was one of defeat.

“Never,” he said. “The volume sometimes lowers... but they never shut off completely.” He moved his piece and crossed his legs, giving Logan an expectant look.

Logan ended up winning the second game, but the victory tasted bitter in his mouth.


	26. Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted an excuse to use this song.

Roman didn’t come here often. If he ever did, it was never because he wanted to. Remus’s part of the imagination was terrifying, and Roman knew that nothing good would come from traveling through it.

But now, he was determined to do just that. This rift between him and Remus had gone on for far too long, and Roman guiltily knew that some of it was his own fault. But now Remus had gone quiet, far too quiet for comfort. Roman had been worried and decided to check in on him.

Remus may be demented, but they were still brothers.

Roman had chosen his favorite white horse to ride on as he carefully wove around the snow covered trees of Remus’s forest. He could hear howls and roars in the distance, but it seemed that everything was staying away from him. He didn’t see a single other soul, beast or human, when he finally made it out.

Remus’s castle was before him, a dark stoned magnificent feat of architecture, leaning heavily on gothic influence. Green and black banners fluttered in the wind, and even in the moonlight, Roman could see splatters of blood on the walls. Armored guards stood before the gate leading in, connected by a stone bridge that rose over a murky moat. Roman could see something swimming around under the water as he got closer.

He expected a fight, and so he dismounted and drew his sword, but the guards didn’t so much as flinch. At this distance, Roman could see their faces were badly decayed and rotted, like reanimated corpses. Roman had no doubt that was just what they were.

“Prince Roman of the Light Kingdom,” One of them announced as they all bowed. “His majesty King Remus welcomes you to his kingdom.”

“Uh... what?” Roman lowered his sword as the gate began to rise, dripping even more blood. “Wait, how do you know who I am? I’ve never been to this castle.”

“His Grace has informed us of you,” said the same guard. “Long ago, he told us of his brother, the Prince of the Light Kingdom. We have been told to allow you freedom to come and go and we are to never harm you under any circumstances. Have you any need for an escort, Your Highness?”

Roman walked closer to the guard, looking through the open gate. He just needed to find Remus was all.

“I... I am looking for Remus,” he said. “Do you know where he is?”

“His Grace has locked himself away in his chambers,” said the guard. “He has left instructions that no one should bother him.” The guard was silent for a moment before he leaned down. “But if Prince Roman should wander into His Grace’s courtyard where he addresses his subjects... the walls will give him voice enough to reach the King.”

The guard straightened up again and Roman blinked, smiling softly. “Thank you,” he said. “You are a good man.”

Roman took the guard’s directions and managed to find an empty courtyard that had a large balcony for a room above it. This had to be what the guard was talking about. But... but what could Roman say. If Remus didn’t want company, he doubted he’d want to talk to Roman. But there had to be a way to get Remus to at least come out.

And there was. There was one thing that connected the twins.

Music.

And Roman knew a song from something both twins enjoyed.

He cleared his throat and began to sing.

_High in the halls of the kings who are gone_  
_ Jenny would dance with her ghosts_  
_ The ones she had lost and the ones she had found_  
_ And the ones who had loved her the most_

He paused and could swear he saw a shadow moving in the windows of the room. He had to keep going.

_The ones who'd been gone for so very long_  
_ She couldn't remember their names_  
_ They spun her around on the damp old stones_  
_ Spun away all her sorrow and pain._

Roman paused again... and heard a door open. A moment later, Remus was standing at the parapet of the balcony. He was in his usual outfit, but he was wearing a silver crown and a heavy black furred cloak. His expression was unreadable, but then he opened his mouth and began to sing back.

_And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave_  
_ Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave_

_They danced through the day_  
_ And into the night through the snow that swept through the hall_  
_ From winter to summer then winter again_  
_ 'Til the walls did crumble and fall_

Roman smiled in relief as his brother fell silent. This... why had they never done this before? The bond had always been there, but both had been battling their own inner demons and their own blind views to embrace it.

No more. Roman would not let Remus be alone again.

To his surprise and immense happiness, they both began to sing at the same time.

_And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave_  
_ Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave_  
_ And she never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave_  
_ Never wanted to leave, never wanted to leave_

_High in the halls of the kings who are gone_  
_ Jenny would dance with her ghosts_  
_ The ones she had lost and the ones she had found_  
_ And the ones_  
_ Who had loved her the most_

And then suddenly, Remus was right there in front of Roman in the silent courtyard. The wind whistled and whipped around them, moving Remus’s cloak in dark waves. He looked... tired. Drained. But the smile he had for Roman was genuine and happy.

They didn’t need to speak. They knew. They knew all too well, and that was enough. Roman pulled Remus into a hug, and they both held each other in silence.

For a moment... it felt like they were one person again.


	27. Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teenhuman!Remus angst as requested by tiredandalone.

_Can you please come get me?_

_I’m in the park._

Remus was sitting on one of the swings, gentle swaying if only to give himself something to do. He’d sent Roman a text and the other had responded that he would be there soon. Remus hoped he would hurry, it was cold.

A duffel bag sat nearby, packed with the few precious items he had to his name. He’d kept them all together because he’d known that one day his father would kick him out. The man had a temper that was unpredictable, and his favorite threat was to kick Remus out. His mother never said a word against her husband, so he was alone in those particular fights.

But tonight had turned violent as well. Remus’s eye was swollen shut, and his bottom lip was busted. His father had finally decided that since Remus was now an official adult, he didn’t have to care for him anymore. He got a few hits in before Remus managed to run to his room and barricade the door. He packed the important things, some clothes, and then climbed out of his window to run.

And now he was here on the swings in the early hours of the morning.

He broke from his thoughts when a car pulled up in the nearby parking lot. A young man jumped out and rushed to Remus, enveloping him in a hug. Remus sniffled and sobbed against the other’s shoulder.

“Shhh...” Roman rubbed Remus’s back. “It’s ok. Dad says you can stay with us. You’re not going back. It’s going to be ok.”

“Oh, Kiddo...” Roman’s dad Patton jogged up and looked distressed. “Oh you poor thing. Roman, let’s get him home. I need to put some ointment on those injuries.”

Roman let Remus go and picked up his bag instead. Remus continued to cry as Patton guided him back to the car. “Remy is putting some sheets on the guest bed. You can sleep in there if you want.”

“I...” Remus sniffled, rubbing his bruised arms. “C-could... could I please... please stay with Roman? I d-don’t want to be alone...”

“Of course,” Patton started the car and looked in the rear mirror to see Roman hugging Remus tightly, and he fired off a text to his husband to get the first aid kit ready.

Patton’s hands shook with rage as he gripped the steering wheel. Remus’s father didn’t want him? Fine, Patton was his father now.


	28. Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a headcanon of mine.

The first time it happened was with Virgil. 

Patton had entered Virgil’s bedroom to wake him up for breakfast for his first morning with the other sides. Virgil had explained that he preferred gentle shakes to harsh knocks for a wake up call. So Patton shook his new son awake with a smile.

Only to suddenly be staring into two glowing purple eyes. Patton managed to stifle a yelp as he flinched away.

“Oh my goodness! Are you ok, Virgil? Did you catch some kind of eye infection?” Patton immediately went into Dad mode (though it was a state he rarely left).

“Oh...” Virgil yawned. “Sorry, I guess I forgot to mention that my eyes glow in the dark. There’s nothing wrong with them.” He got out of bed and stretched a bit.

“Oh,” Patton sighed in relief. “You had me worried there, Kiddo. But that’s cool, you’re like a cat!” He giggled and put his hands up to mimic cat paws. Virgil couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“Yeah, sure. A cat. Anyway, what did you make? I can smell something good...”

The second time it happened was with Deceit.

Thomas had come to accept the snake side as part of him, and things were... relatively peaceful. While there was still some reluctance, things has certainly simmered down well enough that the sides could be around him without complaint. At least without vocal complaint.

One night, Patton invited Deceit to watch a movie with him, which was his own version of extending an olive branch. Deceit had accepted when Patton let him choose the movie. To his surprise, Deceit chose The Prince of Egypt.

After the movie ended, Patton turned off the tv, plunging the room into semi darkness. The only light came from the hallway. Patton turned to tell Deceit that he’d enjoyed the movie, but froze when he saw two glowing yellow eyes staring back at him.

“Deceit! Your eyes...”

“Oh... forgive me, I neglected to tell you. My eyes glow in the dark,” Deceit said. “I hope this doesn’t unsettle you.”

“No,” Patton shook his head. “Just surprised me as all. Virgil’s eyes glow too.”

“Yes, I know.” Deceit paused. “They make him look like a cat, don’t they?”

“They do!” Patton chuckled.

The final time it happened was with Remus.

Remus had bad insomnia and kept a very very strange sleep schedule, Patton came to learn. After Thomas had come to accept him as well, Remus’s room had moved to settle among the other sides, adding to their odd little family. Remus was just as eccentric as they all remembered, but now they found it almost endearing in a way.

One of his quirks was how he’d stay up all night long for several nights in a row. It seemed as if he’d just keep going until his body shut down and put him to sleep. This led to the others finding him asleep in odd places, one of the strangest places being asleep on one of the blades of their ceiling fan.

Patton had told Remus that as long as he was quiet, he could wander the mind palace as desired instead of staying in his room. Remus had looked very happy at that, and took Patton up on his offer.

One night, Patton got up to get a glass of water and could smell something cooking. Remus must have made another one of his three am grilled ham, tomato, pickle, peanut butter, and cheese sandwiches. Patton sleepily smiled to himself as he entered the kitchen, but he once again paused when he saw two glowing green eyes staring at him.

The crunching noises that came from the pitch black kitchen did not help make it any less scary.

This time, Patton just blinked. “Is this a... thing among the other sides? Virgil and Deceit have glowing eyes too.”

Remus stopped his noisy chewing and swallowed his mouthful. 

“Oh, so you know already?” He asked. “Yeah, it’s a thing among us Dark Sides. I think all of our eyes glow in the dark. Neat, isn’t it?”

Patton turned on the light and Remus let out a loud hiss as he shielded his eyes. Patton chuckled as he took a glass from the cabinet and went to fill it with water.

“Yes,” he agreed. “It’s very neat.”


	29. Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the Single Dad Au. Note that Juke's ex husband is not a side, and Patton was never married.

“Oh Honey...” Remy’s voice dripped in concern as he set his coffee aside. He’d come by to bring his good friend Juke some donuts for himself and the kids. Remus was away at school and Virgil was taking his afternoon nap, so they were alone in the kitchen.

And to Remy’s surprise, Juke started crying.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Remy rubbed Juke’s shoulder. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen Juke cry. The wounds from his divorce were still fresh even if everything had been finalized months ago...

“What’s wrong?” Juke sniffled. “What’s wrong is that he’s gone! He left and I’m still here with the kids and he didn’t even want to share custody. Our beautiful... wonderful... sweet little sons that we adopted and began to raise together...” He sobbed, sounding a little breathless. “And I had to be the one to tell them that they weren’t going to see him anymore. I didn’t even know what to say, so I lied! I lied and said that he loved them, but he had to leave for something or other, I can’t even remember what I said. And what will I tell them when they’re older and ask about him again?”

“Let it all out Honey,” Remy pulled Juke into a hug. “You’ll feel better afterward.”

“I don’t even know what to do! I’m trying as best as I can, and I hope I’m doing everything right, but then I feel like I’m failing them. Everything was fine for years and then suddenly I wasn’t good enough for my own husband and the kids weren’t good enough and he wanted more and then... he was gone. I just... maybe if I had done something more he’d still be here...”

“Ok, you stop that now,” Remy wiped Juke’s face with a paper towel. “You were a wonderful husband and he was damn lucky to have you. If that bitch wasn’t satisfied, then that was his own fault. And you’re still doing great! Virgil loves you, and he’s doing better with his shyness. He told me he met a new friend at the park. And Remus did too! And Remus is doing so well in school and I know they both love you.”

Juke sniffled again as he calmed down. Remy’s words reassured him and gave him the comfort he needed. But deep down he still questioned his parenting.

“Yes,” he finally sighed. “A father brought his children a few weeks ago and we’ve seen them a lot since then. You’d like them, Remy. Logan is such a book worm and Roman just feeds right off of Remus’s energy and plays with him.”

“Sounds like a good man,” Remy said. He paused. “Wait... did you start crying because you like him?”

“What?” Juke squeaked.

“You do!” Remy said. “You like him, but he brought up all your insecurities and now you’re worried that the past will repeat itself!”

“You’ve been hanging around Emile far too much,” Juke muttered. But he didn’t deny the other’s words.

“He’s my boyfriend,” Remy smiled. “Speaking of, why don’t you call him for a session? You need someone to talk to. A professional. Especially if your feelings are this bad. And maybe after some time you’ll feel good enough to make your move.”

“You... I...” Juke floundered for an excuse. He didn’t do well with therapy. It was hard for him to talk about his feelings sometimes. Emile was a sweetheart, and Juke liked him, but to be in an actual office and speak to him as a professional instead of a friend... well, he’d never know if he didn’t try. 

“I’ll...” Juke squirmed a bit. “I’ll think about it.”

“You have his number, just call him,” Remy pat Juke’s shoulder again. “I really think it’ll be good for you. Now eat a donut before I go full hog and eat them all myself...”


	30. Constellations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A gods au? I dunno, Remus's first few lines came to me and it grew from there.

Logan regarded the starry sky above him in the imagination. He always found himself looking at the stars, either in a book or through Thomas’s window. Something just... drew him to them.

“Stars...” Remus said, looking up as well. “Have you ever wondered about them? Science and knowledge can tell you everything you ever wanted to know. But what about the old days? They were not stars then. They were spirits, demons, deities, and so many other things...”

“How do you know what they were called then?” Logan asked, looking at Remus. He could see the other side smile.

“I know all the old stories,” he said. “Every story, every tale, from the beginning of time... I know it. I know it... because I helped to create it. Roman and I both...”

As he spoke, a line appeared to connect some of the stars, more lines formed into the shape of a pair of men that were weaving fabrics. Some lines were green, others were red. Logan realized that Remus was tracing out a constellation.

“We were weaver of tales,” Remus spread his arms as if he could embrace the sky. “Black threads woven with shades and shadows pulled from the putrid darkness of men... those tales were mine. Of course, Roman’s were a bit more... saccharine.”

He finally looked at Logan.

“We were the ones who told mankind how the world worked. We explained rain and earthquakes and eclipses until... you came along. And with you came... knowledge. Knowledge and logic that spread like wildfire and forced us to find other uses for our tales,” Remus was tracing another constellation: a dark blue man that held a stack of books in one hand and an open book in the other.

“But we did not fault you, Logan,” Remus suddenly appeared at Logan’s side, causing the other side to flinch. “It was simply your job. Your nature. Your duty to mankind. Just like Patton.”

A light blue constellation of a man with a pair of scales.

“Just like Virgil.”

A purple constellation of a man that had a shadow in chains.

“Just like Deceit.”

A yellow constellation of a six armed man that was trying to sabotage Patton’s scales.

Logan stared at them all, transfixed at the images. He felt...as if he should know them. No... Remus was just making stories again.

“We have been here for so long,” Remus said softly. “Jumping from host to host, sometimes lying dormant, sometimes revealing ourselves. Thomas... he’s been our best host yet. I’m going to be sad when he passes on and we must leave to find another...”

“Nothing you’re saying makes any sense,” Logan said. “You can’t possibly believe that any of this is true. And even if it was, why don’t I have any memory of it?”

“You were dormant for far longer than us,” Remus smiled, and his voice grew louder, echoing around the void they were in. “You slept for so long and you lost parts of yourself from it. It’s happened before, it will happen again. And we always put whoever lost themselves back together again. And Deceit and I shall be the ones to do it. All of you have lost parts of yourself. You are all imperfect and limited. But we shall set you all free... and we shall take our rightful places again.”

He reached out for Logan, and the other scrambled to get away.

“N-no! Don’t touch me-”

“Don’t try to resist, Logan...” the world grew dark until Logan could see nothing, only able to hear Remus’s voice.

** _“It will only hurt more if you do...”_ **


	31. Author's Note (Sorry)

Hello everyone! I hope you're all having a great day. I'm sorry to be adding another note, but I promise it's for a reason. I have a chapter in mind where Thomas does a Q&A session with Remus and Deceit much like he did with the other sides in his video. So If any of you have a question that you'd like to suggest for that chapter, please comment with it and I will include it. Thank you all again for all the comments and kudos and have a wonderful day!


	32. Mama

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mom!Deceit as requested by sittinginadarkroomcontemplating

They used to call Deceit Mama Bear. At least, the other Dark Sides did. Deceit had been annoyed at first because they were poking fun at how protective he was of the younger sides, but he quickly grew to love the nickname and took pride in his maternal mannerisms.

And out of all the nicknames he had, Mama Bear was the one that Remus latched onto the most.

Remus took to calling Deceit ‘Mama’, and Deceit couldn’t bring himself to correct the younger side. If Remus saw Deceit as his mother, then Deceit was his mother now. And Deceit loved it.

The name stuck even as the younger sides grew up into adults and began working at their own jobs and duties. And when they came to be accepted by Thomas and the others, the name still stuck. 

At first, Remus would use it in private, worried at how Deceit would react if the other sides heard Remus calling him Mama. But Deceit soon made it clear that he didn’t care at all. And so Remus went back to it.

One afternoon, Logan was reading in the kitchen and waiting for the water in his kettle to boil for tea. Remus and Deceit were mixing ingredients for a cake they were baking for after dinner. 

“Mama, can I lick the spoon?” Remus asked.

Logan started and turned his head to look at the other two with a confused expression. He didn’t expect for Deceit to smile and hand the spoon over.

“Of course, dear. Just don’t make a mess.”

And then Remus was happily licking the batter from the spoon as Deceit poured the rest into a baking pan. Logan blinked once. Twice. And then he went back to his book. And if he was smiling, it definitely wasn’t from what he had just seen.

Another day, Patton saw Remus rush past him, clutching his bleeding hand. Patton gasped and opened his mouth to ask what happened, but Remus rushed to Deceit’s door and knocked.

“Mama! I cut my finger again!”

The door opened quickly and Deceit was already holding a first aid kit. He sighed in relief when he saw the cut was pretty minor.

“You’re so accident prone,” Deceit tsked as he cleaned the wound and wrapped a bandage around it. “Maybe I should just wrap you in bubble wrap.”

“Ooh, that would be fun,” Remus giggled. “Maybe I could launch myself into the wall and not even feel it.”

“No,” Deceit kissed Remus’s injury and smiled. “No, we’re not doing that. Now please be more careful.”

“Sorry, Mama,” Remus actually looked sheepish! “I promise I’ll try. Love you!”

And then he was running off and Deceit was closing his door again.

Patton seemed to be frozen in place, his hands over his mouth and a squeal stuck in his throat. He almost had literal stars in his eyes and a wide grin on his face. That... had been too cute! Who knew the two dark sides had such a relationship? Patton squirmed and shook his head, trying hard to keep quiet against the fluffy feelings he now had. 

He settled for going to his room and squealing into his pillows instead.

The incidents began to happen more frequently. Deceit would ruffle Remus’s hair or call him by terms of endearment or hug him when he was sad. And the other sides were no longer shocked to see such a side to Deceit.

And when Deceit began to treat some of them the same way... well, no one was complaining.


	33. Folds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Teen!Virgil going through some stuff.

“Remus told me you’ve been having some... thoughts and feelings.”

Damn Remus! Of course he’d go crying to his Mommy about how Virgil was having panic attacks and was sleeping more and not eating as he should. But Thomas had just hit puberty and he was going through some tough times. In turn, that kicked Virgil into overdrive.

“It... it’s not a big deal,” Virgil crossed his arms as Deceit cooly regarded him. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not even having that many...”

“I see,” Deceit said. His tone was passive and Virgil had no way of knowing what he was feeling or thinking about this. Deceit was silent for a few moments more... but then he conjured something.

Virgil saw a large jar and a stack of paper strips on his desk now. Deceit took one of the strips and held it up.

“Watch closely,” was all he said.

He began to fold and twist the paper until it was a shape instead of a strip. He then pinched the corners and held the result up to Virgil. It was a paper star.

“Now you try,” Deceit handed Virgil a strip. It took Virgil a few tries, but Deceit just kept handing him more paper when he needed it. Finally, Virgil had a misshaped star in his hand.

“Now, I want you to promise me something,” said Deceit. “Every time you have one of these thoughts or feelings, I want you to make a star for each one. Every single one, ok? And then put it in the jar. When the jar is full, you will come to me and talk to me about these thoughts and feelings. No matter what time it is, or what I’m doing... you come to me when it’s full.”

Virgil blinked in shock. It was such an easy thing to do. After all, it wasn’t as if he had many of those thoughts or feelings.

“I promise,” he said, setting the star aside.

The thing about anxiety was that it really messed with your sense of time. For Virgil, it was no exception. Hours would pass with him barely noticing. Then days began to pass too. Sometimes Virgil would blink and realize it was now Thursday instead of Tuesday. One day he noticed that his jar was now a quarter full when he barely remembered making any stars.

He wanted to stop, but he had promised Deceit...

And then the jar was half full.

Virgil began pushing down on the stars and shaking the jar as much as he could to make more room. See? The jar wasn’t full yet, there was still a bit of room. The jar wasn’t full yet, there was still a bit of room. The jar wasn’t full yet, there was still a bit of room. _The jar wasn’t-_

But it _was_ full. In fact, it was overflowing. Stars stacked on top of the pile began to roll down and hit the desk. Virgil was out of room and out of excuses. He’d filled the jar without even really realizing it. It had all happened in a near blur.

Virgil picked up the jar with a sigh and carried it from his room.

Deceit and the other dark sides were sitting on the couch and watching TV. Deceit... Pink... and Orange. They all looked over when Virgil nervously cleared his throat, eyes glowing in the dim light.

“Um... Deceit? It’s... it’s full.” Virgil held up the jar.

“Would you give us some privacy, please?” Deceit asked the other two. The others got up and left, passing by Virgil on the way out. Pink ruffled his hair and Orange pat Virgil’s shoulder. He liked it when they did that.

With the couch empty, Deceit pat the spot next to him. Vigil nervously sat down, setting the jar on the coffee table. Deceit picked up one of the stars and began examining it.

“So...” he finally said. “Tell me about these stars...”


	34. Bear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't wake the Mama Bear...

Every side had special ability. Deceit’s ability was that he could hear any lie that was spoken in the Mindscape. He mostly ignored them as they were often small or stupid lies, but every now and then he heard one that could not be ignored.

Such as today.

_“Your Mama doesn’t love you. He’s one of the bad sides, he can’t love.”_

And then he heard a familiar voice sobbing.

Deceit’s hand gripped his cup of tea so tightly it shattered in his grasp. That brat! That utter brat! He’d made his little Remus cry, and like hell was he going to allow it. Deceit ignored the cooling tea that dripped from the table, and he sunk out of the room.

Roman had had enough of listening to Remus talk about his ‘Mama’. For one thing, Deceit was male, so he was the Dad. Remus calling him Mama just showed how weird he was, and Roman was done with it. He let Remus cry as he went back to coloring with his crayons. Let Remus cry, he was just a dumb baby. That’s why Roman was the prince and he wasn’t.

But then Remus stopped crying and smiled instead.

“Hi Mama!”

Roman flinched, his crayon going outside the lines. He gulped nervously to himself as the lights in the room seemed to spark and dim. With wide terrified eyes, he slowly turned around and...

Oh, but this sight would haunt his dreams for weeks to come.

Deceit towered over him, all six arms out in all their glory. His fingernails had lengthened into claws, both eyes were glowing a bright yellow, and a low rumbling hiss filled the room. Deceit’s mouth pulled open in a snarl, revealing jagged fangs that dripped acid green venom.

Remus chuckled to himself, smiling smugly at his brother.

“You woke the Mama Bear...”


	35. Bath

Deceit always gave his sons separate baths. He had no qualms about them bathing together as he’d heard that siblings often did when they were at a very young age, but that wasn’t the problem.

The two had very different opinions on baths.

Virgil loved baths. He loved playing in the water, he loved having his hair scrubbed, he loved feeling the warm water pouring over him. He loved baths and would always sit still or come running as soon as he heard the water turn on. And then afterward he would patiently let Deceit dry him off and dress him in his pajamas to get ready for bed.

Remus, on the other hand...

“No! I don’t wanna!”

“Remus, come here this instant!”

Remus hated baths more than anything else in the world. He treated the warm water as acid and the soap as poison, and nothing Deceit said or did would change his mind on the matter. Bath time for Remus was... well, Deceit often likened it to a zoo keeper trying to capture and bathe an escaped animal.

Of course it was made worse by the fact that Remus was very swift and agile, but not even Remus could avoid a striking snake for too long. Deceit would eventually catch him and carry him to the tub. 

It was at this point that Deceit really started using his extra limbs. Six arms were very useful in stripping a squirming child and holding him down while the other limbs scrubbed and rinsed him. Once Remus had even bitten him, but he learned not to do that after a grueling (in his opinion) time out.

After Remus was done with his bath, Deceit had to keep a hold on him while he dried and dressed the other. If he had sat Remus down for even a minute, Remus would have run naked through the mindscape and forced Deceit to once again chase him down.

At least the boys shared a room for now. It made bedtime easier. Tuck them into their beds, read a story for both to listen to, make sure Virgil’s nightlight was plugged in, and then leave.

Only then could Deceit sit down and relax after the stress of the bedtime routine. But if he was honest... he wouldn’t have it any other way.


	36. Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another idea from the Human!Sides Au.

“So... which one are they in?” Logan asked as he consulted his map. They had found a little corner to stop and get their bearings as the crowds moved around them. Performers were mixed in, swooping and sneaking around to scare unassuming patrons.

It was Halloween, and they had come to enjoy the many haunted houses and mazes.

“Remus said he’s in the Haunted Asylum,” Roman was pointing at the map with one hand while he munched on some popcorn with the other. “Juke’s in the one called Alice’s Madness.”

“Alice’s Madness?” Virgil asked. “Well, that one doesn’t sound so bad.” He took another bite of his corn dog. He had decided to take a break from participating in the haunted houses this year. He just wanted to have fun and support his older brothers.

“Do we know where their rooms are?” Patton asked, holding the bag of popcorn that he and Roman were sharing.

“Remus wouldn’t say. Again,” Roman sighed, his brother always refused to tell them what room he’d be in. And he always managed to make Roman scream like a girl. “We’ll just have to be prepared.”

“Alice’s Madness is very popular, and the line is getting rather long,” Logan said, looking over at the attraction. “I suggest we go there first. We can do the Asylum afterwards.”

“And after that?” Virgil threw away the stick for his corn dog.

“Then we face the other horrors of Halloween head on,” Roman said, striking a pose. “Now come on, I’m sure Juke is waiting for us.”

It was no secret that Virgil loved anything to do with Alice in Wonderland. Especially if it was crossed with the macabre. The haunted house was set up to take you through a much darker Wonderland and even up against deranged figures such as the manic white rabbit, the Mad Hatter, and the psychotic Queen herself.

At least, that’s what the map advertised.

Either way, Virgil loved the aesthetic. Whimsy dipped in malice and presented in all the hazy colors and lights of a bad acid trip. Of course there were a few jump scares with scary creatures popping out here and there, but overall it was all about atmosphere, which Virgil heavily approved of.

Roman had bravely taken the lead in the group, but now he had Patton clinging to him in fear. Virgil was walking beside them, and Logan brought up the rear. Lucky guy didn’t seem to scare easily, so he was mostly appreciating the decor and details.

The next room they entered had a tea party laid out on a long table. There were corpses sitting in the chairs and instead of tea, it looked like blood and entrails were being served. At the head of the table said the Mad Hatter himself. He was decked out in dark clothing that looked like someone mashed together a Victorian suit and something from a night club: all dark mesh and leather and chains but with an oddly elegant touch.

“Oh, new guests!” His eyes were literally glowing under the lights, and his smile had too many teeth. Virgil stifled a chuckle as Patton and Roman tried to step back, but Virgil pushed them forward.

“Just in time...” Hatter ripped a huge knife from a nearby corpse. “We’re low on tea. But I’m afraid we have no more room, so...” he made a throat slitting motion. 

“Yeah, I’m good,” Roman was scrambling for the exit. “I prefer coffee anyway!”

“Where are you going, Roman?!” The Hatter reached for Roman as he disappeared into the next room. “Or you, Patton?! Don’t you know it’s tea time?!”

Logan smiled and applauded as he went into the next room too. Virgil followed, but looked back in time to see the Hatter tip his hat and wink.

“That was... not that bad,” Roman said as they finally made it back out to the streets. “I mean, that Queen was a little scary, but... nothing can best Roman Sanders.”

“Are you kidding?” Virgil laughed. “You nearly pissed yourself when Juke tried to grab you!”

“I didn’t even recognize him until he said our names,” Patton gasped. “He looked so cool!”

“Oh please, I was... simply playing the part of the scared audience so as to not hurt his feelings,” Roman said.

“Uh huh,” said Logan. “And I’m sure you’ll do the same for your beloved brother, right?” He pointed in the distance. “The asylum is that way. We can stop for another snack afterwards. All this screaming must really be working up an appetite for you, huh Roman?”

Roman stuck out his tongue and said nothing.

The asylum was much worse than Wonderland. Virgil actually found himself getting scared a lot more in this one. Patton and Roman were so terrified that Virgil had to take the lead and let the other two be cocooned between him and Logan. Once again, Logan didn’t seem all that scared. A little jittery, but not screaming or crying like some of the other people were.

Virgil was looking out for Remus in this attraction. Remus always gave a good scare and Roman always gave a good scream to go with it. But so far they hadn’t yet encountered him. 

The seemingly last room had a big door on the other side that said EXIT. But there was also a big padlock on it. The wall stated FIND THE KEY OR HE’LL GET YOU.

“Find... the key?” Patton squeaked out. The room was dim and had many places a key could be hidden. “And... w-what do they mean he’ll get us?”

As if on cue, there was a loud screech from the hallway they had just come down. At the very end, something was on the ceiling. It was dressed in a bloody straight jacket, and it began to move and twist in unnatural ways. The light bulbs on the walls flickered and went off as the figure crawled past them.

It was slowly getting closer to the room they were in.

“FIND THE FUCKING KEY!” Roman screamed, and he began tearing up the room to find it. The others spread out to look as well, but more and more light bulbs in the hallway went out as the figure grew closer and closer. 

“I found it!” Patton held up a small key just as the figure reached their room and screeched again. It’s red eyes glared at them as it hung from the ceiling, and Logan snatched the key and rushed to the padlock.

“GET AWAY! YOU STAY AWAY!” Roman screamed, clinging to Patton and rushing to the door. The figure lunged after them and managed to get grab Roman’s shoulder. Logan finally got the lock off and opened the door to let the others out. He turned back to the figure and smiled.

“That... actually got me a little, Remus,” he said with a breathless chuckle. The figure squealed softly and looked so happy.

“Thanks, Logan! Just leave the key there and we’ll get it.”

Logan set the key aside and shut the door behind him. He walked back out to the street where Roman was arguing with Virgil about how scared he’d been in the asylum. Ah, Logan could tell this was going to be another wonderful Halloween.


	37. Habits

“You just... eat that jam straight from the jar like that?”

Logan paused, spoon still in his mouth, as he turned to look at Deceit. The other side was regarding him curiously, not scolding him as Logan had originally thought. He pulled the spoon from his mouth and nodded while he swallowed.

“No bread or crackers?” Deceit asked.

“I do use Crofters on toast sometimes,” said Logan. “But it’s perfectly acceptable to consume it straight from the jar like this.” He furrowed his brows. “Is there a problem with me doing that?”

Deceit wordlessly opened the fridge and pulled out a can of whipped cream. Uncapping it, he sprayed a jet straight into his mouth and swallowed. 

“No problem at all,” said Deceit. “I was just making sure I wouldn’t be offending anyone. Oh, and if you ever see Remus eating uncooked spaghetti, don’t worry about it. He likes the texture.”

Deceit smiled and left, spraying more whipped cream into his mouth. Logan couldn’t help but chuckle softly. It seemed he wasn’t the only one eating habits one would consider odd.


	38. Pants

Everything seemed normal enough when Roman entered the kitchen. Remus was at the stove cooking something to eat while the others were sat around the now larger kitchen table to enjoy their breakfasts. Everything seemed normal...

But then Roman noticed that Remus’s legs were bare. He wasn’t wearing pants.  
And he was wearing bright green boxers that were patterned with little octopi.

“Remus...” it was too early for this, “why are you not wearing pants?”

The other sides flinched and looked over as if they were just now noticing Remus’s lack of pants. Remus simply shrugged.

“It’s Thursday,” he said, as if that explained everything when in fact it explained nothing. But... that was just how Remus worked sometimes.

“Right,” Roman said, sounding defeated. “How could I forget about ‘No Pants Thursday’-”

There was a clink and a rustle of fabric as Deceit removed his belt and then removed his pants, and then he tossed them aside. His underwear were solid black, but if anyone had been able to see the back, they’d see the two yellow hand prints across his backside.

Everyone stared at Deceit, who in turn simply sipped his tea and raised an eyebrow. He crossed his now bare legs and didn’t say a word.

Across from him, Logan had a contemplative look on his face. Roman knew that look well, and he held his breath to see the result. The result was Logan removing his own pajama pants and tossing them aside as well.

“Logan?!” Roman was shocked. “You’re joining them on this too?”

“There are actually many benefits to not wearing pants,” Logan explained calmly. “It prevents restriction with the blood flow of your lower extremities, promotes ventilation of the groin area-”

“Yeah, that’s enough from you,” Roman said. “Virgil!” He looked over in time to see another pair of pajama pants go flying. “You too?!”

“I’m too overwhelmed to care about things like fashion and how I look,” said Virgil. “If I can remove part of that problem without being made fun of, why not?”

“I guess that means I’m the only one left,” Patton said as he removed his own pajama pants. “Well, I’m always up for trying new things, especially with other people. Free the legs!” He tossed his pants like a basketball and smiled.

Roman stared at his family with an open mouth. Remus was staring too, but he looked so pleased with himself that everyone had joined him. Usually they would just smile and pat his head. ‘Ha! Classic Remus. Here’s a cookie.’ But today... they actually joined in the festivities.

Roman sighed and looked at his brother. Remus simply smiled and gave him an expectant look. With another sigh, Roman began taking his pants off.

It was No Pants Thursday, after all.


	39. Sing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes place between Selfishness vs Selflessness and Dealing with Intrusive Thoughts

When Remus said ‘I made you something’, it could be either good or bad. Remus’s heart was always on the right track, but... sometimes something got lost or changed in translation, and the final result could be pure nightmare fuel.

So when Remus said it to Deceit, the snake side was just a little nervous.

“Those morons up top may not appreciate you, but I do,” Remus said as he led Deceit through the woods of his kingdom. The Macbeth Sisters, as Deceit liked to call him, were all quick to bow and sing Remus’s praises as they passed. Deceit was stunned when they began to speak of him too.

“Blessed mother who hath raised our king!”

“Beautiful mother!”

“Praise him too!”

Remus said nothing as Deceit watched the sisters until they were out of sight.

“I can tell that the trial has left a sour taste in your mouth,” Remus chuckled. “Like when you eat a bunch of lemons and then your teeth wear down and dissolve from the acid, and then you can’t eat solid foods and-”

“Remus, what is this about, Dear?” Deceit interrupted his rambling to bring him back on track. Remus nodded his head.

“Ah yes. I made something for you. A place where you can be appreciated,” he said. “It’s just... here!”

The trees ended to reveal a beach of grey sand and dark waters. There was a small stage area made of wood, but nothing else. Remus took Deceit to the area and they stood on the small stage.

“I’m confused,” Deceit looked around. “What’s this?”

Remus smiled widely and gestured to the empty space before the stage.

“Sing,” he said.

Deceit blinked and looked even more confused.

“Sing?” He repeated.

“Yeah!” said Remus. “Can you sing my favorite, please please please?”

For the longest time, Deceit had been a big fan of Frank Sinatra. Remus had grown up to hearing the crooner sing from Deceit’s prized record collection, and while he liked some of the songs, there was one he loved above all the others. And Deceit had often sang it for him over and over.

Deceit chuckled softly before he shrugged and took his place near the front of the stage.

_Fly me to the moon_   
_ Let me play among the stars_   
_ Let me see what spring is like_   
_ On Jupiter and Mars_   
_ In other words, hold my hand_   
_ In other words, Darling, kiss me_

Deceit paused when he saw movement in the trees. Beasts began to appear, walking out of the woods and moving closer to the stage. Deceit worriedly looked over at Remus, but Remus simply motioned for Deceit to continue.

“Sing!” he said. “Sing!”

Deceit cleared his throat as the beasts began to sit down in various spots in front of the stage.

_Fill my heart with song_   
_ And let me sing for ever more_   
_ You are all I long for_   
_ All I worship and adore_   
_ In other words, please be true_   
_ In other words, I love you_

More were coming now. Some beast, some human, some... Deceit wasn’t sure. But they all stood before the stage, watching with rapt attention. It only took a moment for Deceit to realize that Remus had gathered an audience for him. An audience just for him. People to listen to him and appreciate his words and talents.

Deceit sang with more energy now. He loved to sing, and he’d never had an audience like this before. It made him feel... happy. Wanted. Heard. After being ignored for so long...

Remus not once stepped back up on the stage as Deceit continued to sing. This was for Deceit. It may not have been the attention Deceit had wanted, but... Remus liked to think it still made him happy. He hoped so, at least.

He’d pay Thomas a visit later. It was time to let his host know of his presence.


	40. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm not too good at writing scary stuff, but this chapter comes with a warning for blood, gore, panic attacks, and other scary stuff.

Remus supposed it had been his fault.

The other sides had become far too comfortable with insulting him or disrespecting him. Now, Remus could put up with a lot of insults. He mostly just shrugged them off and went back to eating his uncooked pasta or went back to doing his naked yoga in the living room.

But then the insults became much more personal and had even started including Deceit. THAT is what he could not tolerate.

It was time to remind them of who he was and what he could do. Dark or forbidden creativity was a powerful thing, and he was powerful from it.

So he sprang his attack one night when all the other sides were asleep. Remus grabbed Roman first to keep him from pulling the others into his side of the Imagination. For him, the nightmare would be simple but effective.

Roman watched helplessly as his kingdom burned before him. His subjects rushed around to either escape or help another. Some of them were burning, their skin turning black and falling off and the smell of their burnt flesh filling the air. Roman had been tied up with the rope in the well, preventing him from helping and preventing his subjects from getting water to extinguish the fire.

He watched houses and buildings crumble into ash. Men, women, and children screamed in agony and fear as they became trapped in the inferno and met their ends at the hands of the towering flames. When everything finally fell silent save for the crackling of fire and burnt wood, Roman realized that he was alone. He trembled and panted, devastated by what had happened and filled with fear. He once again began to struggle, but the rope held firm. He couldn’t escape...

For Patton, it was easy too.

Remus dropped him in his forest where all the beasts growled and roared and hissed in a disorienting cacophony. All Remus needed were a few extra bodies he could mold and reanimate. They moved with surprising speed and made awful sounds as they did, and if they happened to look like the other sides... pure coincidence. 

Patton whimpered and sobbed as he ran for his life in the woods. He could hear them all behind him and stole glances over his shoulder. All of them horribly mutilated and decaying, but he could recognize them enough to know who they had been. 

Patton rushed through the trees and snow, but he tripped over a raised root, collapsing to the ground with a cry. He tried to get back up, but he slipped in the ice and fell again. This time, he had no time to get up again as he felt them grab him by his shirt.

Patton screamed as he felt their claws and teeth.

Logan was a bit trickier.

Logan was logic, so demons or zombies or other monsters wouldn’t terrify him at all. Things that didn’t exist in the real world often didn’t. Remus had to do actual research for this one, but... anything worth doing was worth doing right.

Logan gasped in horror as he saw the mushroom cloud in the distance. Sirens were going off all around him, but he was alone. What could he do? There were no underground shelters. No vehicles to take him somewhere else. He could start walking, he could try to escape, but even then he was running numbers and figures and his chances for survival dwindled lower and lower.

There was a flash, and Logan immediately felt a difference. Time had passed somehow, and... he felt so sick.

His stomach twisted and churned with pain and nausea, and he vomited blood into the street. He looked at his arms and saw them red and covered in blisters. A chunk of his hair fell to the ground as he moved his head around, desperate to find someone who could help him.

Even though he knew it was far too late.

He didn’t make it very far when he finally collapsed. Blood drooled from his mouth, and he vomited again. The burning in his skin was the last thing he felt as the world slowly darkened around him...

Virgil was last, but not least. And he was probably the easiest of all.

Remus knew Virgil had a bad fear of abandonment and rejection, so all it really took was another set of fake sides to yell at him.

Virgil shook against the wall he had pressed himself against. The other sides were all yelling that he was a dark side and how dare he try to infiltrate their family so that he could corrupt them?

Virgil tried to tell them they were wrong, but his throat closed against his will, and his breathing quickened. He was having a panic attack, and it was one of the worse ones.

The other sides laughed and jeered at him, and one by one they left him behind. Virgil tried to beg them not to go, but he couldn’t get enough breath in to speak. Dark skeletal hands burst from the floor and grabbed him, dragging him down down into the darkness he was familiar with. He would never be part of the family...

Remus let them all wake up from their nightmares, feeling that they had learned their lessons. The next morning, the sides were deathly silent as Remus walked into the kitchen. They all looked as if they hadn’t slept at all the previous night, which didn’t surprise the Duke.

“Remus,” Roman said suddenly. Remus turned around and regarded the other side curiously. 

“We’re sorry,” said Roman. “For everything we said. Please... please don’t do that again.”

Remus shrugged and leaned against the cabinets. 

“Well, that depends on you. All I ask is for a little respect. I’d say you all learned your lessons, but... I am always ready to teach you all again if I must. See that I don’t... or it’ll be far worse...”


	41. Intimacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd give you a guys a little sneak peek at one of the Sides that will be popping up in my other story. Not gonna reveal the name just yet, though. Enjoy!

Thomas had a pink side.

Patton loved the wonderful rainbow that was his famILY, different colors, different shades. Of course there was a color or two that didn’t belong in the traditional rainbow, but Patton cared about them anyway. One of them took the color pink.

It was Thomas’s libido.

The Side was quite a sight to see. A pink crop top, black booty shorts, pink stockings, and shoes that always made Patton’s ankles twinge in sympathy. All topped with a beautiful pink fur coat that swept their ankles.

They were also the only side that had piercings, one in each ear, and a barbell through their tongue. 

Patton cared about them, and he found himself feeling... curious.

“With you, one bares their heart and their soul,” Pink said to Patton. “With me, they bare everything else. Strip away every mask, every shield, nothing to hide behind. Leaves you feeling vulnerable, but when your partner takes you in their arms...” he wrapped his arms around Patton, pressing his face into the soft fur of their coat, “you feel safe. You feel loved. You feel protected. Of course, not everyone takes their clothes off...”

He chuckled as he let Patton go. Patton coughed awkwardly and fidgeted with the sleeves of his cardigan.

“I just... I don’t understand why sex is such a big deal. I mean, hugs and kisses are great. Why do anything else that’s so... messy?” He asked.

“Well... some people see sex as part of intimacy,” Pink shrugged. “Some don’t. It’s just a matter of how they view sex. But it’s not bad unless you use it to hurt someone.”

Patton shuddered.

“Do you think... maybe you can show me? Not sex itself! Just... what leads up to it. I think I’ll understand better that way,” he said.

“Thank god,” Pink chuckled. “You’re too innocent for even me to go after. But sure, I’ll show you a few things. Come here, Sweetie.”

Patton looked confused as he walked over. Pink just gave him a smile and slowly put his hands on him.

“My special talent is that I can see all the right spots to touch,” Pink whispered into Patton’s ear. “And that’s what this is all about. Touch, Physicality. Skin to skin contact. I’m sure Logan can explain it better than I can. But... it’s not something you really think about. You just... feel it.”

Patton shivered again, but this time it was a good kind of shiver. Pink was rubbing his neck and shoulders, carding fingers through his hair, and the warm breath of his whispers tickled the flesh of Patton’s ear.

It was almost electric. Like a raw current was flowing through him with every touch of Pink’s fingers. Something... deep and primal. Patton couldn’t explain it, but it’s exactly what Pink said. He couldn’t think of how to describe it, but he could feel it.

And he wanted to feel more.

Pink untucked Patton’s shirt and began caressing Patton’s stomach and chest. Patton actually whimpered at that. It was strange, he didn’t feel arousal like Pink had described to him before. He wasn’t getting the urge to pounce on Pink or take him to bed. It was intimacy. But it was far more than any intimacy Patton had ever given or received.

He went limp, letting Pink handle him however he pleased. Pink began pressing sweet kisses to Patton’s cheek and jaw, still gently rubbing at him. The fur coat felt like heaven on Patton’s bare back, and Pink’s arms made him feel... loved. Protected. All the things Pink had told him.

And Patton felt the exact moment that Pink let him go. 

The warmth and electricity faded, and it was like a cloud had been lifted from Patton’s mind. He shook his head and turned around to see Pink grinning at him.

“Wow, and I barely used any of my talents. You really seemed to like that,” he booped Patton’s nose, making the other blush.

“I was... it was... it was just a little intense is all. I didn’t think it would be that much.”

“And I didn’t even go for any of your erogenous zones,” Pink tsked. “Maybe one day I’ll show you more. But for now, let’s say the lesson’s over.”

Patton nodded, feeling strangely empty inside. He tucked his shirt back into his pants and left the room, leaving Pink to go back to watching television. He really needed to see Logan...


	42. Upset

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I heard this song and I felt it was perfect for the tone of Patton's guilt.

Patton was washing the dishes after a lovely family dinner. Logan and Virgil had retired to their rooms, but Roman had simply moved to the living room to listen to music on his phone. He’d said he needed a break from his latest project and just wanted to relax.

Patton had no problem with that until one particular song began to play.

_Let's go in the garden_   
_ You'll find something waiting_   
_ Right there where you left it_   
_ Lying upside down._

Patton paused in his scrubbing, listening to the song. Some sort of emotion gripped him, but he couldn’t tell what it was. It began small, but slowly grew as the song progressed.

_When you finally find it_   
_ You'll see how it's faded_   
_ The underside is lighter_   
_ When you turn it around_

The dish and sponge slipped from Patton’s grasp, splashing back into the water. Patton was wide eyed and frozen as a memory gripped him.

_“He says he’s Anxiety,” Patton nudged the small child forward. “I just... I think it would be better if he stayed down here.”_

_“Oh, he’s so cute,” Orange smiled at the little one. Pink squealed._

_“Hi, Sweetie! Oh, I could just eat you up. Come here, are you hungry?”_

_Pink picked the child up, and Anxiety burrowed into his pink coat. Pink and Orange left the room to feed the child, leaving behind Deceit and Patton._

_“How much longer are you going to do this?” Deceit hissed. “How many more of us are you going to toss down here so that you can keep your precious domain pure?”_

_“Look, I don’t like it either,” said Patton. “But Thomas is at a very delicate stage right now, and I don’t think having Anxiety in the main area will help. I’m sorry, but it’s for Thomas’s own good-”_

_“Yes, I know,” Deceit angrily interrupted. “You’ve said that so many times I might gag if I hear it again. Whatever, I’ll raise the boy. I certainly have enough love to give him.”_

_“That’s not fair!” Patton said. “I love all of you. I do. But I have to think of Thomas-”_

_“Just leave, Patton,” Deceit turned away. “I’ve heard it all before.”_

Patton came back to himself, and the song was still playing. He clenched his hands into angry fists, but what was he angry with? The song? Deceit? Himself?

_Everything stays_   
_ Right where you left it_   
_ Everything stays_   
_ But it still changes_   
_ Ever so slightly_   
_ Daily and nightly_   
_ In little ways_   
_ When everything stays_

“Padre?”

Patton was suddenly in the living room. He grabbed Roman’s phone and threw it against the wall, smashing the screen and silencing it. Roman yelped and backed away.

“Patton? What... why did you do that? Are you ok? Patton? Patton, can you hear me?”

Roman slowly reached out, the other side was panting harshly and every muscle was tensed. But then Roman could hear the sobs, the whimpers, and Patton broke down before him.

“Patton,” Roman touched his shoulder, but Patton ran off. Roman heard his door slam, and he moved to pick up his phone. It was an easy fix, but... what had caused Patton to do this?

He’d talk to him later. Right now, he felt that Patton needed some time to himself.


	43. Marriage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For tiredandalone. An arranged marriage human au.

A king needed a queen if he wanted to rule. Roman’s father had told him that over and over, and it was especially forced onto him after his brother Remus had run off with one of the scholars.

Granted, Roman thought Remus and Logan were a wonderful couple.

But now it was all on him to carry on the dynasty. Find someone to settle with and then adopt an heir. The plan sounded easy enough, but it was far from it.

For one thing, Roman was far too picky in his standards for a husband. Suitor after suitor came bearing gifts and flowers and songs and romantic words, but Roman refused all of them. Roman’s parents found themselves scrounging around in any noble line they could find, looking for a suitable match.

They had a stroke of luck when they discovered one of their lords had a son who was also refusing his suitors. Apparently the son had some kind of deformity on his face that was causing friction with his potential matches. One side was covered in scales, and rumor had it that there were more hidden under his fancy clothes.

Well, beggars can’t be choosers.

Roman’s parents arranged a marriage between the two, and the other (Juke, they learned was his name) was brought over to meet with the prince.

“What’s wrong with your face?” was the first thing Roman said. “It’s all... scaly. Were you cursed?”

Ah, already off to a wonderful start.

Juke hissed softly, arms folded over his black and gold tunic. He’d heard the prince was rather blunt, but this was bordering on rude. Luckily, their parents had gone off to talk about the wedding and left them alone together.

“My face is just fine,” he finally said. “It certainly looks better than yours.”

Roman paused. Had Juke... just insulted him? Him? The prince? No one had ever insulted Roman before...

“How dare you say such vile things about me you-”

“Save it,” Juke looked bored as he took an orange from a nearby fruit bowl. “If we are to be husbands, you’d better get used to it. I am not going to tiptoe on eggshells and fawn over you and stroke your ego like I’ve no doubt everyone else has. You’ll have all of me, and that includes my sharp tongue.”

“Oh forgive me,” Roman said sarcastically. “I only thought your tongue was forked. But I’m going to be king. You’re just a lord’s son, that puts you so far down the ladder-”

“You know, the wonderful thing about being at the bottom of the ladder is that it’s very easy to shake off the person standing at the top,” Juke ate a piece of the orange and smiled. “I’d be careful if I were you. You’d have quite the long fall, wouldn’t you?”

A threat? Against Roman’s life? No! No, he wouldn’t stand for that. He couldn’t possibly marry this... this thing. Not now, not ever.

“You will be exiled for this,” Roman snapped. “I’ll personally see you put on a boat and sent to the far off lands outside our borders where the beasts will rip you to shreds.”

“Please do, I’d much prefer their company to yours,” Juke sat down on a sofa and kept eating, not seeming worried in the slightest. Roman growled in frustration and quickly left the room.

He needed to speak to his parents.


	44. Tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another sneak peek! This is the grey side, and they will be featured in my other story as well. I'm sure you can figure out their job.

There was one side that had confused Virgil when they first met in his youth. This side had his hair swept into his face, was always hunched over and staring off to the side, and wore a grey shirt with ratty jeans. 

This side would also randomly start crying.

Every time it happened, one of the other dark sides would come over and hug him or try to comfort him. But Virgil learned that the crying was normal for the side. It was part of the side’s job.

Well, Virgil didn’t like seeing him cry.

One day, Virgil found the grey side sitting on the couch in their living room, and he walked over to him.

“Huh? Oh...” Grey said. “Did you want to sit here? I’m sorry, I’ll move.”

But Virgil climbed onto the couch and sat next to the side without a word. He handed over his bunny plush, shaking it slightly when Grey didn’t take it. Grey took the plush and slowly brought it to sit on his lap.

Virgil smiled and pressed himself closer to Grey, cuddling the other’s arm.

“Oh...” said Grey. “You... you want to cuddle me? Are you sure? I’m not the best cuddle buddy.”

Virgil nodded and pat Grey’s arm.

Grey blinked, feeling tears well up in his eyes. He sniffled and tried to stop them, but they quickly began to fall. The plush in his lap caught a few, causing a few spots on the soft fur, but Grey couldn’t get them to stop.

Virgil sat up when he saw Grey crying. He’d expected this, which was why he had borrowed one of Deceit’s yellow handkerchiefs. He pressed it into Grey’s hand and motioned wiping his eyes.

Grey gave a small smile as he began wiping his tears with the handkerchief. This new side... he liked him. He was a good side. He was like the others. 

Even if Grey thought he didn’t deserve such companionship...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like these stories, please comment. I also take requests if anyone is interested in suggesting any prompts or scenarios. Also, if anyone wants to make fanart or share the links for these fics, you are all welcome to do so. I also have a tumblr blog that you can come hang out on at beautiful-doom.tumblr.com


	45. Father 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the human teen Remus drabble.

Remus sat silently in the car, watching the scenery pass by outside the window. Juke Sanders, Roman’s other foster father, was sitting in the driver seat with a look of pure determination.

“You...” Remus said softly, “you don’t have to do this, S-Sir...”

Juke smiled warmly, something that looked out of place on a man like him. He gave off a vibe that implied he was dangerous. Like a snake coiled up and ready to strike at any moment. The way he dressed, the way he carried himself, the way he spoke... it was intimidating.

But Remus had seen the softer side of him.

“I know I don’t have to,” he said, patting Remus’s shoulder. Remus was still tensing at physical contact, but he was getting better at accepting it. “But I want to. That’s something completely different from a simple obligation. You said all of your writings were in those notebooks, and nothing is more sacred than the stories we tell. Don’t worry, we’ll get them back.”

In his rush to leave, Remus had had to leave behind a large box stuffed with notebooks that contained all his horror stories and poems he had written over the years. He’d been prepared to accept the loss, but it was Roman who asked Juke to help get them back. As a writer, Roman understood.

And apparently Juke did too.

They pulled up to Remus’s old home, and Remus curled into himself slightly. His eye was still healing, but he could at least see with it now. His lip had healed faster, but the pain was still fresh in his mind.

“Are you sure you want to go in?” Juke asked, shutting the car off. “You could stay here and let me get them.”

Remus hesitated, but then he nodded.

“I... I want to make sure I get everything,” he said. “I never want to come back here again.”

“Very well,” Juke opened his door. “Allow me to do the talking, I can at least take that burden from you.” Remus didn’t object as he got out of the car and followed Juke to the door. Juke nodded firmly and then waited.

Remus flinched as he heard shouting and stomping from inside. The door was ripped open to reveal Remus’s furious father. The man looked between the two and zeroed in on Remus. Or at least he tried to, but Juke stepped between them, gently guiding Remus to stand behind him.

“Hello,” Juke said amicably. No sense in agitating a bull if it wasn’t going to charge. “Dear Remus here forgot a few things in his room. We have come to retrieve them. We’ll only be a few minutes and then we’ll be out of your hair.”

“Oh really?” the man sneered. “And what did that little psycho leave? His meds? I didn’t see them in the cabinet, so anything else is bullshit that he don’t need. If I remember, he said his meds were more important than paying bills for the good of the family. So you and that little shit can fuck right off.”

He went to close the door, but Juke’s hand shot out and stopped it. Remus gasped softly in awe. The snake had struck!

“My dear friend,” Juke hissed. “I believe we got off on the wrong foot. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Juke Sanders, and I am Remus’s friend and lawyer. I was not asking your permission to enter the premises. You are holding things that lawfully belong to Remus, and if you do not let us take them... well, I’m sure the police will be kind of enough to help us settle this. And I’m sure they’ll be very interested in the peculiar smell you have emanating from your living room.”

The man paled. Juke Sanders? He knew that name. That was a very well known lawyer for the area. This guy could cause a lot of trouble, especially if he involved the police.

“Be quick,” he said, opening the door fully and letting them in. “You touch anything else and I’ll make you sorry.”

“A threat,” Juke growled. “Perhaps you should watch what words come out that hole you call a mouth.” He turned to Remus and spoke gently. “Get all that you need. I’ll be right here keeping an eye on him.”

“Now wait just a minute-” Remus’s father tried to stop Remus as he walked off.

“A very peculiar smell indeed,” Juke said loudly, glaring at the other.

Remus kept his head down as he walked down the hallway to his room. He opened his closet door and began to fuss with the boxes. Most were just full of junk and things he didn’t care about, but one box was carefully marked with an X. He pulled that one out and opened it to make sure everything was accounted for. He knew how many books were in the box.

When he was done counting, he looked around his room to make sure that he had everything. He shoved a few more things into the bag he brought. He didn’t need them, but Juke had been nice enough to help him. Might as well get everything.

Hefting the heavy box in both arms, Remus left his room for the last time and walked back to the front door. His father looked absolutely murderous, but Juke looked unfazed. He smiled and moved to let Remus leave first, but Remus’s father decided to take one last shot.

“You stupid kid!” He reared his fist back, but Juke’s hand once again shot out to catch it. Now Juke looked just as angry as the father. Remus gasped and froze in the doorway, legs locked in fear.

“Remus... go wait for me in the car,” Juke said softly. Remus left as fast as he could, shoving the box into the car. Before he could get in himself, he heard a cry of pain and a thud come from the house. Juke walked out a moment later, cleaning blood from his knuckles.

He said nothing as they got into the car and drove off. Remus couldn’t stop staring at the smudges of blood on Juke’s hand. Had... had he really punched the man? For Remus?

Juke sighed as he fiddled with the dashboard, pulling up a number to call.

“You didn’t have to,” Remus said. “I’m not... you didn’t...”

“I’m a lawyer,” said Juke. “My job is to bring justice. And even if I wasn’t... I’m not about to let a man treat his son this way.”

He smiled and dialed the number on his car phone, letting it ring over the speakers.

“Hello?” A man picked up.

“Ted, it’s Juke,” Juke’s smile was positively malicious. “I just left my son’s friend’s old house and I detected the presence of drugs there. You can’t mistake the smell. I’m sending you the address now...”

Remus stifled a giggle. Now that was justice.


	46. Parts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blame Gotham. I was watching it when this idea came to me. Warning for implied organ theft. Human Sides

He was surrounded by the smell of blood and decay.

They’d knocked him out, and he’d woken up restrained in a van. He had no idea where he was, but there were men grabbing him and dragging him up some stairs. He wasn’t alone, he could see others people being manhandled too.

He tried to scream through the tape over his mouth, but who would hear him? For all he knew, he was miles and miles away from anyone who could help. A panic attack is a hard thing to have when all you can do is breathe through your nose, but Virgil’s body seemed determined to do it anyway.

He struggled as a man came over with a clipboard.

“New supplies,” he sneered. “Young and fresh get the best coin. Let’s have a look at him.”

What followed was the worst medical exam Virgil had ever experienced. He was groped, poked, grabbed in a bruising grip. The man seemed satisfied, but his smile grew wider when he saw Virgil’s face.

“Purple eyes! Oh, those are rare. They’ll get us a much higher price than we could have hoped for.”

“Purple eyes?”

Another man arrived, and Virgil whimpered. This man was wearing black and green and had a stereotypical villain mustache. Virgil would have laughed if he wasn’t so scared.

“Remus,” the man with the clipboard greeted him. “Purple eyes, this one. Beautiful ones too. I’m sure someone would pay a lot of money for them...”

“Indeed, someone would,” Remus smiled as he gripped Virgil’s jaw, making him look up. “Oh, such a beauty! Too beautiful to be carved into spare parts. Take this one to my office and make sure he stays there. I’m going to keep this one for myself.”

He sneered as a black hood was put over Virgil’s head. Virgil felt them drag him off and he began to struggle again.

“Poor kid,” he heard someone chuckle. “You’d be luckier to get carved up. Our boss has some wicked games he loves to play...”

Virgil finally lost the battle with his panic attack, and he passed out.


	47. Demons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Human sides with Demon!Remus and Possessed!Roman!

**“I’m bored...”**

Roman sighed as he heard the voice in his head. Honestly, all those movies about demons and people being possessed, and not one of them came close to what Roman was experiencing.

**“If I had known you were going to be this boring, I would have told you to buzz off all those years ago. You sold your soul to become an actor! A famous one! And yet... we’re still here in this boring town living this boring life.”**

Roman glanced up at the nearby window. His reflection looked back, but it wasn’t alone. A dark figure was with him. The upper half looked humanoid, but the lower half was a mass of dark writing tentacles.

A demon. And his name was Remus.

“You were the one who said you’d take care of everything,” Roman growled as he looked away. “I’ve yet to see a casting call or a talent scout.”

**“You have to give me something to work with,”** Remus said, placing his hands on Roman’s shoulders. **“Some excitement. That’s what I feed off of. Without it, I can’t do what you want me to do.”**

“Excitement like what?” Roman asked, fiddling with the bluetooth at his ear. It helped keep people from thinking he was talking to himself.

**“Get laid,”** said Remus. **“Find a man. That should give me something to power my magic.”**

“All the demons out there and I had to get the weakest one.”

**“I’m not weak! You just aren’t playing by the rules...”**

Roman shook his head and walked down the sidewalk. He wanted to go home and binge some Disney movies and relax. Having a demon attached was exhausting, and he wondered if Remus actually was draining his energy.

**“Fine,”** Remus growled. **“If you won’t get things started, then I will. Let’s see...”**

“What are you-”

And then suddenly Roman was no longer in control of his body. Remus had taken over, moving Roman like a puppet. Roman hated when Remus did this, but he couldn’t stop. Remus made him walk faster, moving him into the path of someone else who wasn’t paying attention.

“Look out!”

Roman crashed into the man, sending the other’s grocery bag to the ground. There was a shatter, and Roman saw jam spilling from the bag. The man sat up, and Roman gasped. This guy was actually pretty good looking.

“I’m so sorry,” Roman helped him up. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Well... I suppose I wasn’t either,” the man straightened his glasses and brushed himself off. “But my Crofters...”

“Let me replace them,” Roman burst out. “It’s... it’s the least I can do.”

The man looked pleasantly surprised, and he nodded.

“That’s very kind of you. My name is Logan.”

Roman smiled, feeling his cheeks flush only slightly.

“Hi. I’m... I’m Roman.”

He could hear Remus chuckling in his ear, but for once he didn’t care.


	48. Demons 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demon Deceit and Possessed Virgil. But with a twist

Virgil had long since gotten used to being fed with his own hands.

**“Honestly, I wonder how long you would have lasted without me to take care of you. You can hardly function!”**

“Yeah, well... anxiety can be a real bitch,” Virgil said. “Depression too. But... I’m grateful for all the help you’ve been giving me.”

The demon within him sighed in frustration, and Virgil looked at the reflection in his bedroom mirror. He saw himself, but there was someone else with him. The top half looked humanoid, but the bottom half was a long coiled snake tail.

“Why bother sticking around, Juke?” Virgil asked. “You didn’t offer me a contract or anything.”

**“Because I’m tired of being stuck below,”** said Juke.** “And it’s rare to find a compatible body to possess. When you find one, you want to hold onto it and keep it alive. Something that you’re making difficult for me. At least I’ve managed to make you stop cutting yourself.”**

Virgil glanced at the faint scars on his wrists as the demon fed him another spoonful of oatmeal. Some nights it was all Virgil could stomach, so he made sure to always keep some on hand.

**“No sense in doing such a horrible thing,”** Juke continued. **“And then I have to make you eat and stay hydrated and bathe yourself. It’s like taking care of a catatonic.”**

Juke sighed again.

**“I’m sorry, Virgil. It just frustrates me. You need to take better care of yourself, and I wish I could help you instead of doing everything for you, but I have no idea how to do so!”** He said.

Virgil gave a small smile and pat his chest.

“You already do a lot for me,” he said. “More than you think.”


	49. Marriage 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the arranged marriage au

“I refuse to marry such an insufferable man!” Roman growled. His father, King Thomas, sighed heavily. 

“You know our laws. You cannot rule without another at your side. You must marry if you wish to be king,” he said. “And you don’t have a choice, you’ve already rejected every other suitor who came asking for your hand. Juke is the only one left.”

Roman angrily shook his head.

“I don’t care. I’m not marrying him, and you cannot make me.”

“Then you will not rule.”

Roman scoffed and waved dismissively. Him not rule? Absurd. His father had even less of a choice.

“And what, you will leave our land without a king? I think not,” he said smugly.

“I wouldn’t,” Thomas glared. “I would offer the crown to your brother Remus instead. He’s married to one of our brightest scholars. Logan has a good head about him, and he’d be a wonderful figure to help Remus rule.”

Roman paled. Remus rule in his place? Never! He wouldn’t allow it!

“Have you gone mad?” He asked. “Remus rule as king? He’d ruin us! He’d ruin our kingdom! I’ve been training to be king ever since I was a child. Remus doesn’t even know the proper customs of our people!”

“Logan does,” said Thomas. “I have faith that Logan will teach Remus all he needs to know. If you so desire to put me in such a position, then I will do what I must to remedy it. You will either marry Juke, or the crown will go to Remus. I’ve already sent him a letter asking him to return home. He will be here in two days.”

“Two days,” Roman gasped. “Why did you ask him to come home? Nothing good will come from it. If anything, he’ll scare Juke away and then everything will be ruined.”

“That’s enough,” Thomas ordered. “You have always been so harsh on your brother. You are blind to his talents and his skills, and I am ending it now. He will be here in two days, you will receive him as a loving brother should, and that is the end of it. I suggest you take these two days to decide on whether you wish to wed Juke or not. Get to know him. His father has spoken to me about his knowledge and his wit. I’ve no doubt that you will warm up to him after you two have a decent conversation.”

Roman was shaking his head in horror. Were these really his only options? Marry Juke or give up the crown? Either way, his pride was going to suffer. The difference is one would be private and the other public.

How had it gotten this bad?

“Go now,” Thomas turned back to the papers he was reading over. “I have given you your choices. It’s up to you to make one...”


	50. Egos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I will do more chapters with egos in the future if anyone is interested.

Deceit inhaled deeply and sighed at the wonderful aroma that sprang from his tea. He let his tongue flicker forward, eager to taste the air.

“Is this Oolong tea?” He asked.

The gentlemen across from him, the literal gentlemen, happily nodded.

**Indeed it is. You have quite the nose for tea.**

Deceit was growing to like this mysterious ego. Thomas had decided to branch out and work with other youtubers, the first of which had been someone named Sean, but was known as Jacksepticeye. Deceit liked the Irishman, he seemed like a decent person, and was energetic to boot.

Of course, that meant meeting and dealing with Sean’s egos.

This particular one, Jameson, was really starting to grow on Deceit. And not just because he had exquisite taste in tea.

He seemed so... innocent.

**I’m happy you like the tea. Try the cookies, I baked them myself,** Jameson signed.

And he baked cookies.

He was like Patton with a mustache.

Well, that settled it. Deceit was adopting him. It was too late, the ego was his son now.

Hell, Jameson even wore a bowler hat. It was meant to be!


	51. Egos 2

“He says he’s been having very... concerning thoughts ever since I introduced him to your sides,” Sean said. “And I don’t want to point fingers, but you did say you have a side that’s in charge of stuff like that. I’m wondering if maybe he had something to do with this?”

Thomas slowly turned around to look at Remus. Remus blinked and then suddenly looked at his obviously bare wrist.

“Oh look at the time! I have to go see a man about a thing.” And then he sunk out. Thomas sighed.

“I’ll talk to him about it, don’t worry.”

They continued to talk while the ego in question nervously made his way over to Deceit, who conjured up some tea for them. Jameson smiled as he sat down and took the cup Deceit offered him.

**I’ve been having the most... ungentlemanly thoughts,** Jameson said after a cup or two.** You must forgive me, I am still shaken.**

“No problem at all,” said Deceit. He glanced back at where Remus had been standing. They would be having a stern talk about this. “If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of thoughts were they?”

Jameson gave a silent sigh.

**They began last week. I was eating dinner when I suddenly had a thought: what if I used the salad fork to eat my dessert? And then the next day I was going to the grocer and a woman was entering behind me. I suddenly thought... what if I didn’t hold the door open for her?**

Deceit had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. These were Jameson’s intrusive thoughts? These were the thoughts that unsettled him?

Bless this child...

“I wouldn’t worry,” Deceit pat his shoulder. “I’m sure such thoughts are meaningless, it happens to all of us. You’re too much of a gentleman to act on such... horrible deeds.”

Jameson smiled at that and seemed to perk up.

“Using the wrong utensils and not holding a door open for a woman?” Deceit was laughing at Remus later after Sean had left. “That’s the best you can do? What else was there? Not taking off his hat indoors?”

“He’s too innocent to think of anything else!” Remus defended himself. “I only had so much to work with. Besides, he’s a member of the Mustache Gang and we look out for each other.”

“The Mustache Gang?” Deceit repeated. “You formed a gang?”

“A gang for those who have an appreciation for facial hair,” Remus smoothed over his own mustache with his fingers. We have one other member.”

“Who’s that?” Deceit didn’t like the tone Remus used.

“No one you know... yet. But Thomas is still trying to arrange a meeting. I only know him through... mutual acquaintances. But I’m sure we’ll meet him soon.”

Deceit really didn’t like the sound of that. Remus was far too giddy.


	52. Sacrifice 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the single dad au

“No luck,” Remus crossed out a name on his list. “We tried summoning every one of them and none of them have shown up. What are we doing wrong?”

“Maybe we need a better sacrifice,” Roman shrugged as he hung upside down from the monkeybars of the playground.

“Traditionally, sacrifices were made with cattle or goats,” Logan had left his book behind, more interested in trying to help Remus solve his problem.

“Well that’s just silly,” Remus crossed his arms. “Where would we even get a goat?”

“Goat?” Virgil was playing in the sand. “Goat! At the zoo!”

“The zoo?” Remus repeated. “But it’s too far away. We need a closer goat for us to steal.”

“But Dad says stealing is wrong,” said Roman.

“Yeah, but if we don’t appease the Elder Gods, they’ll rain fire and despair upon us all!” said Remus.

“Zoo!” Virgil stood up and walked over to where Juke was sitting on the bench.

“Stopping Elder Gods from raining fire and despair does sound very important,” Logan mused. “I’m sure Dad will forgive us if we steal a goat to do it.”

“But we might need more than one goat if we’re gonna appease them all,” Remus flipped through the pages of his notebook. “So... maybe we’ll need to steal a big truck first.”

“How are we supposed to do the sacrifice anyway?” Roman asked. “Like... do we just give them the goats and that’s it? Or do we mail the goats to them? I have no idea.”

“Oh, we’re actually going to need an altar and then we take a big knife and-”

“Would any of you happen to know why Virgil is asking to go to the zoo?” Juke asked as he walked up. Remus quickly went quiet and smiled.

“I... dunno? Maybe he just wants to go. He does like going there,” he said. 

“Is that so?” Juke gave Remus a look that said he knew Remus wasn’t being truthful.

“Zoo!” Virgil tugged on Juke’s shirt. “Wanna go to the zoo!”


	53. Egos 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mark brings over a few of his own egos

“WILFFFFFIIIIIIEEEE!”

A green streak leapt into the air and sailed over the living room to land in the arms of the pink mustached man. Wilford let Remus fall into a dramatic dip (leg extended, toes pointed, back elegantly arched) and smiled. 

“If it isn’t the tentacled terror,” Wilford said. “And my brother in facial hair. But we seem to be one member short.”

“Yeah, Jamie couldn’t come today,” Remus straightened up and pouted. “But how did you convince Mark to let you come? I thought he said he was going to leave you behind.”

“Well, I didn’t exactly ask,” said Wilford. “I just followed him. Wilford Warfstache don’t take no shit from nobody!”

Across the room, Mark sighed.

“I am so sorry. I told him to stay behind, but he didn’t listen,” he said.

“I’m not too worried,” Thomas watched Wilford warily. “He can’t hurt my sides. I think him and Remus just want to hang out in the imagination.”

“At least the other... more threatening ones actually stayed behind,” Mark shook his head. “Let me introduce you to the ones I brought.”

Thomas smiled and looked at the other egos milling around.

“Um, h-hi? M-mark said I should... should come t-talk to you.”

Patton felt a surge of protectiveness for the ego in front of him. He had prosthetic legs, bad posture, and was clutching a yellow handkerchief. The poor thing looked terrified as if he expected Patton to start yelling at him.

The other egos were all speaking with Thomas, but this one had wandered off to get away from the crowd. He’d found Patton in the kitchen gathering freshly baked cookies onto a plate. Patton slowly smiled at the other ego as he took his oven mitts off.

“U-Um... my... my name is Eric,” said the ego. He nervously wrung the handkerchief in his hands. “I... um... I mean, I... I’m sorry, I...oh!”

Patton wordlessly slid a comforting arm over Eric’s shoulders and sat him down at the kitchen table. He conjured a mug of hot cocoa and set it in front of Eric with the plate of cookies. He then set a fluffy blanket over the other’s shoulders.

“Oh!” Eric blushed slightly. “Um... th-thank you. Very kind of you...”

Patton sat down next to him and smiled warmly.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “You’re safe here. We won’t hurt you.”

Eric’s small smile was like a flash of sunshine.


	54. Demons 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Couldn't leave Patton out...

“All these years,” Thomas’s hand shook as he sipped the water that had been brought to him. “All this time, I thought you were a cat! The things I said and did in front of you!” Thomas’s face flushed in shame.

The figure before him was mostly humanoid, but he had a large pair of cat ears and a matching tail. His eyes were like a cat’s and he had patches of fur over his body. Oh, and he also had a large pair of feathered wings.

“Ah, don’t worry about it,” said the creature. “Plenty of people don’t recognize us and think we’re just regular pets. I can’t even tell you how many others did the same thing.” He chuckled.

“What even are you?” Thomas asked. “If you’re not just a cat...”

“I am what you humans call a Guardian Angel,” said the creature. “The name’s Patton. I’ve been on this Earth for thousands of years, I’ve been looked over many people, and you’re my current charge right now.”

“W-What?” Thomas asked. “You... you’re an angel?!”

“Not quite an angel in the way you think. I don’t come from Heaven, but I was created by a deity to help look after the kiddos of this world. You and I are compatible, and so we bonded and now I’m your Guardian. It’s my job to keep you safe and happy... and to ward off any mean demons.”

“Demons?” Thomas looked worried. “There are demons too?”

“Yeah, but they’re not as bad as people think,” said Patton. “Most of them just come here to mess with humans and cause a little havoc. Others try to murder and kill and those are the ones I’m here to protect you from.”

He put his hands on his hips, tail waving behind him. His ears twitched slightly.

“Oh, there’s a demon close by,” Patton said, toying with the sleeves of his cardigan. “I think it’s the one that bonded with your friend Virgil.”

“Virgil has a demon?!” Thomas asked. “No way!”

“And now that I’ve revealed myself, you’ll be able to see and hear them. Better answer the door, Kiddo,” Patton said as the doorbell rang. 

Thomas slowly walked over to the door and opened it. He froze at the sight. There was Virgil, looking as he always did... but behind him was something that looked like a snake and a man were mashed together. The terrifying creature stared at Thomas with glowing gold eyes, and flicked his tongue idly.

“Holy...sh....” Thomas’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he fainted.


	55. Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For those curious, Pandareus was a famous thief in Greek Mythology. Seemed a fitting name for Greed.

His name was Pandareus, but everyone called him Pan for short.

And he was currently dying...

“What’s happening?” Little Virgil asked. Pink was sitting on the bed with him and Remus, Deceit had asked him to stay there and keep the little ones from seeing what was going on.

“Why is Mama so worried?” Remus asked. He was only a bit older than Virgil, but he could see that something was happening. “Pan’s been in bed for so long...”

“He’s...” Pink floundered. He couldn’t lie like Deceit could. “Mama asked for you two to stay here while they help Pan is all.” He wanted so bad to tell them that there was nothing to worry about.

But he couldn’t.

There was a crash from down the hall, and Virgil flinched. 

“He’s punching the walls again,” he said softly. “He only does that when he gets mad. Why is he so mad?”

“I want to go see,” Remus jumped off the bed, but Pink grabbed him by the back of his shirt. 

“Stay here,” he said. “Just... please, stay here...”

He was tearing up now. He knew what was happening all too well...

In another room, Deciet cried as he held his son to his chest. Pan was dying, and he didn’t have much more time. He’d been slowly getting worse and worse until he was bedridden and weak. He’d vomited blood all over the sheets and over Deceit too, but the latter didn’t care.

“You’ll be ok,” Deceit said softly. Lying was all he could do to comfort Pan. “It’ll be fine. Just... just close your eyes and go to sleep...”

“Juke...” Pan wheezed, his voice sounding so small and broken. “Juke, I don’t want to die...”

“I’m sorry,” Deceit said, scrubbing at his face. “I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you better... please forgive me...”

Orange was nearby, and he’d already punched a hole in the wall. His anger tried to mask his sorrow, but the tears streaming down his face betrayed his true emotions.

Deceit cried out when Pan finally went limp and crumpled into dust that swiftly faded away. Deceit could only stare at his now empty arms, nearly choking on his own sobs. His mind was reeling and could barely process what had happened. His hands began to shake, and he lifted one to muffle his scream. He had to keep it quiet lest the little ones hear-

“Pan!”

Deceit gasped and looked over at the door. It was opened while he had been distracted, and Virgil and Remus were there. 

They looked... terrified.


	56. Meditation

“Look!” Remus was dragging Logan by the hand. “Look! I made you something!”

Logan had learned a long time ago that ‘I made you something’ was a dangerous phrase for Remus to utter. As unpredictable as he was, you never knew what the ‘creation’ would be. 

Still, Logan indulged him. He had a bit of a soft spot for the Duke.

“Here! Look!”

Logan looked. And Logan gasped. 

He had never seen so many stars in the sky at one time. Not even the skies in Roman’s kingdom had this many stars. And there was a beautiful view of the Milky Way..

He could make out a partial whale skeleton that towered in the distance. The ground was an endless pool of water. Not very deep, but dark and still enough that it reflected the sky perfectly. Logan found himself having trouble figuring out where the sky and the water met on the horizon.

“Here, this way. Take your shoes off.” Remus was already tugging his boots off, and he tossed them aside carelessly as he splashed through the water, walking closer to the skeleton. If Logan has to guess, it was actually just the rib cage, but it was still enormous.

Logan removed his shoes and felt the water was a very pleasant temperature. It was just deep enough to cover his feet. He followed Remus to the skeleton to see there was a boulder inside it, smooth and comfortable looking. 

“You’re always going on about mental health and whatnot, so... I did some research and found that meditation is very good for the mind. I mean, I won’t bore you with the facts, but... I thought you might like a little meditation spot of your own.”

Remus was fidgeting nervously, looking at Logan for his opinion.

“I mean... if you don’t like it I can use it for something else. I had to cheat with the skeleton and that dead astronaut floating in space up there because I can’t make things as good as my brother-”

“I like it,” Logan interrupted Remus’s ramble, looking up to see there was indeed a corpse floating in the distance. “It was... very considerate of you to make this for me. I appreciate it very much. Thank you.”

Remus lit up from Logan’s praise, a genuine smile on his face. He clapped his hands together and pat the rock.

“Well, sit down. Try it out, take it for a spin. Masterb- USE IT HOWEVER YOU PLEASE!” Remus kicked himself for almost letting that thought slip out. “I mean... you know...”

Logan shook his head fondly. Some things would never change...


	57. Food

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Me: I should be writing the next chapter of Goody Two Shoes. Inner Me: More cute kid Virgil!

“Apple slices. One red, one green, one yellow.”

Pink watched the newest (and youngest) member of the group pick at the slices. He ate the green one, but pushed the other two away.

“Ok, green apples.” Pink placed a check mark on his list. He took the plate from Virgil and went back to the counter to serve something else.

“What are you two doing?” Deceit asked as he entered the kitchen. He ruffled Virgil’s hair with a smile.

“I’m trying to figure out what the little one likes to eat,” said Pink. “He’s picky as all heck and won’t eat all the dinners I make, so I’m just getting a read on what better to serve him.”

He placed the plate back in front of Virgil.

“Orange slices.”

Virgil happily ate the slices, and Pink checked that off the list.

“I see,” Deceit nodded in approval. “Very good idea. Hopefully he’s not too picky.”

“Well, you know how Thomas was when he was a child,” Pink smiled. “He had his quirks much like Virgil here does.”

He took the plate and returned it with banana slices.

“Banana.”

Virgil ate it while Deceit watched. They had all chipped in on taking care of Virgil, and even Remus was willing to help when the little one had trouble sleeping. He slept rarely, so he was almost always awake to hear Virgil if he was having a nightmare, and he would cuddle the other when needed. It was the cutest thing Deceit had ever seen, and it made him proud of his son.

And now Pink was making sure the little one would be fed well.

“Chicken nuggets,” Pink had set the plate down again. The nuggets were all shaped differently. Virgil ate the fun shaped ones and then pushed aside the more traditional shapes. Pink laughed and picked the plate up again.

“See? He’s a quirky one.”


	58. Vampire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Human Patton and Vampire Deceit

Patton gasped as he felt fangs pierce his neck. The golden eyed stranger who had been flirting with him all night... Patton should have been more careful! Now he was weakly clinging to the other’s cape, trying to shove him away.

But it felt like Patton’s limbs were getting heavier and heavier, and they eventually fell to the side. Patton was left with his head pulled back and his neck bared, blearily looking at the stars in the dark sky above.

“P-please,” he managed to choke out. “I have... I h-have children...”

The movement at Patton’s neck, which he could not tell if it felt wonderful or not, stopped. After a moment, The fangs were pulled out and a warm tongue brushed over the injury. Patton’s cardigan had stained from a few errant drops, but otherwise, Patton was clean.

“Children?” Came a husky voice in his ear. Patton shivered, feeling like electricity was buzzing just beneath his skin. When the hand released his hair, Patton’s held fell forward onto the stranger’s shoulder. The edges of his vision were beginning to blur...

“You’re lucky I am not a heartless monster,” the stranger continued. “I will spare your life, but there will be a cost. I will call on you again... and again... and I will take my fill each time. You will not die from it, but you cannot escape either. That will be the price you pay for your life...”

Patton vaguely felt the stranger picking him up. Those golden eyes glowed in the dim street light, beneath the dark brim of a bowler hat. The stranger began to hum, and it soon became harder and harder for Patton to keep his eyes open. He fell unconscious in the arms of a stranger who grinned with sharp fangs as he carried Patton home.


	59. Sleep

All was quiet in the Mind Palace. 

Well, kind of...

The Sides usually slept in their own beds in their own rooms. Every mattress, pillow, and blanket was different to suit their own needs. But every now and then they would have a sleepover in a massive blanket fort they’d conjure in the living room.

Fairy lights twinkled from the silky canopy that hung over them, bathing them all in a soft blue glow. The fort was huge, allowing them all to spread out as desired, but some had grouped up together.

It was no secret that Virgil was a cuddlebug. Physical touch was just as important for his health as anything else, and Patton was always happy to deliver. They were both in onesies, one cat and one bat (’It rhymes!’ Patton had happily exclaimed). Virgil was asleep on his side with Patton’s arms wrapped around him from behind. Virgil clutched a Jack Skellington teddy bear.

Logan was on his own, sleeping on his back with his hands folded across his chest. He was dress in a unicorn onesie, but that didn’t stop Remus from comparing Logan’s sleeping position to that of a corpse. Logan had given an impromptu lesson about the health benefits of sleeping in such a way, which some of them had fallen asleep to.

Roman was on his own as well in a different corner. He was wearing his lion onesie and sleeping with his sword next to him. “A prince must always be prepared to protect his family,” he’d said. The irony that he was the deepest sleeper of the lot was not lost on the others.

In another spot, Deceit and Remus were sleeping together. Deceit slept on his stomach with his arms splayed out to his side (only two of his arms). He was wearing a bear onesie that Patton had gifted him with. One of his hands had been carding its fingers through Remus’s hair when he fell asleep, and it had yet to move from that position.

Remus himself was asleep nearby with one hand clutching Deceit’s onesie. He wore the skunk onesie that Patton had gifted him, and he had his friends snuggled against him. Basura was asleep on his stomach, Schund was curled up at his side, and Spazzatura was asleep at his other side. 

The reason why the place wasn’t completely silent was because Remus was snoring loudly. Deceit woke up just enough to shove Remus onto his side (and disrupt poor Schund’s sleep), and Remus was silent again.

And then true peace and quiet settled over the Mind Palace.


	60. Insomnia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus and Remy have a bit of a tense relationship...

“Hey Remus,” Remy leaned against the wall as he watched the other side over the tops of his sunglasses.

“Hi Remy!” Remus was busy playing another video game. The spooky season had caused him to go on a horror game kick. Currently he was playing Outlast, and he was going to work his way through the series. The whole room was dark save for the light coming from the TV. 

“So... you’ve been playing a lot lately,” said Remy. “I was hoping you’d have at least slept a bit during all this. I mean... you just love to make my job difficult, don’t you?”

It was true. Remus seemed to have bad insomnia. He’d go and go until his body went on strike and decided to just crash. Only then was Remy able to put him to sleep.

But Remus had yet to reach that point, and Remy... well, he was getting a bit peeved. He was sleep! It was his job to make sure Thomas and his sides got enough sleep. But Remus was a constant pain in his ass.

“I’m not sleepy,” Remus gave a dismissive wave as his character ran down a dark hallway. “You already know the drill, Sandman. Hey, do you ever wonder if you could put Thomas in a coma if you’re not careful? I’ve thought about that a few times...”

Remy glared and then... he did something you never want to make him do.

He put down his Starbucks coffee.

Fine. Remus wanted to play? Remy could play too. He reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a blowgun. He then pulled out a green feathered blow dart. Without taking his eyes off of Remus, he loaded the blowgun, lifted it, and then took aim.

FOO!

Remus cried out as the dart hit directly in the side of his neck. He jumped up from the couch and yanked it out, but it was too late. As he tried to flee, his limbs became heavier and heavier, and he soon fell to the floor.

“Damn you, Remy! A blowdart? Really? Hehehe... ‘blow’...” And then Remus’s head hit the ground as he passed out.

Remy twirled the blowgun in his hand before slipping it back into his bag. He took up Remus’s dropped controller and sat down on the couch to continue his game.

“Sweet dreams, bitch...”


	61. Insomnia 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since you guys liked Remy so much, I thought I'd do a little sequel.

Deceit walked in to a sight he’d never seen before.

Remus and Remy were both glaring at each other from opposite sides of the room. Remus held a phone up in one hand while Remy was holding a PS4 in his hands. Both looked as if they were facing off against each other, and Deceit sighed.

“What are you two doing?” He asked wearily.

“He won’t go to sleep when I tell him to!” Remy growled. “It’s my job and he won’t let me do it!”

“Well it’s my job to supply Thomas with intrusive thoughts and control his darker imagination,” said Remus. “And to do that, I sometimes need to stay up later.”

“I don’t care about you staying up late,” said Remy. “But you stay up until you’re literally too tired to do much else and crash. You need to start listening to me when you go to sleep. I’ll smash this PS4 if I have to! Then you won’t have these stupid games to keep you awake.”

“Do it and your precious phone is toast!” Remus held the phone up higher as if he were about to smash it on the ground.

“Remus, you could just conjure another PS4,” said Deceit.

“But all my save data is on that one. I’d have to restart every game at the beginning, and I’d lose all my trophies!” said Remus.

“And all my apps and contacts are in that phone,” said Remy. “I need it!”

“Children, _please!”_ Deceit said. “This is the dumbest fight I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen my share. Remus, you _do_ need to sleep more. Remy, you are _not_ in control of Remus. If he decides to stay up, then he will stay up. Now I do not have the patience of the energy to deal with this, it’s been a long day.”

A yellow gloved hand sprouted next to Remy and Remus, palms up as if asking for something.

“Hand the devices over to me and I will return them to their proper owners,” said Deceit. “Then you two can stop fighting and do something better with your time. Hand them over now.”

Remus and Remy didn’t move for a few minutes. But they slowly handed the devices over to Deceit. The two hands sunk into the floor, but nothing happened after that.

“What’s going on?” Remy asked. “You said you’d give my phone back.”

“I lied,” Deceit folded his arms. “You two can have your things back when you learn to get along.”

“What?!” Remy stomped over, glaring at Deceit with eyes that swiftly turned black. _“Give. Me. My. Phone!”_

Deceit cooly stared the other down. He didn’t say a word, his mind made up.

Remy squeezed his coffee cup in anger, crushing it in an explosion of coffee. He leaned closer to Deceit, pointing a manicured finger in his face.

**“You will regret this.”**

And then Remy was gone.

Deceit looked over at Remus and saw the other looked terrified.

“What curse have you brought upon this house?” Remus asked. Deceit rolled his eyes. How dramatic could you get?


	62. Fusion

It was Roman’s idea.

He’d been watching Steven Universe and got the idea to fuse with Remus.

“Imagine it!” He said excitedly. “We could become what we were before the split. We wouldn’t have to keep fighting with each other! Think of all the things we could do!”

“But you’re boring,” Remus looked unimpressed as he ate another slice of lemon. “And you’re a butt hole. And we have to be compatible. Remember what happened to Lapis and Jasper?”

“We’re twins!” Roman insisted. “And we’re two halves of a whole. I think we’re pretty compatible. Please, dear brother! Please fuse with me so that we may achieve our ultimate form once more-”

“Will you stop bugging me if I agree?” Remus interrupted.

“Yes! Oh thank you, dear brother-”

“Let’s get this over with,” Remus sighed. “Hang on, lemme pause my game...”

It was Patton’s scream that alerted the others that something was wrong.

He’d come into the living room for a nice cup of tea and some cartoons and instead saw a massive form by the couch. The others came running at Patton’s scream, but no one could have predicted this.

The form itself was... well, it wasn’t pretty. It was humanoid, but it had four arms, two different colored eyes, and it leaked some kind of black sludge on the floor. The mouth opened and a distorted voice came out.

**“We should not be. This is not right.”**

Logan, able to recover the quickest, stepped forward to address it.

“Who are you? Why are do you have Roman and Remus’s sashes?”

The creature pressed on the spot where the sashes overlapped with one of its hands.

**“We tried to fuse. We tried to become what we once were. But we cannot. We have been apart for too long. We are no longer two halves of a whole, we are two separate entities. The edges that once fit together have changed, and so have we...”**

“The tried to fuse?” Patton gasped. “But... why do they look so horrible?”

“They’re not compatible,” said Virgil. “A fusion’s look is determined by compatibility.”

“I’ll bet this was Roman’s idea,” Deceit huffed. “Always trying to become more than what he is.”

**“It was the red one who asked,”** said the creature.** “The green obliged, but had doubts. We cannot be what they want. We can never be what they want. We should not be at all...”**

The creature glowed and then split apart. Roman and Remus were left unconscious on the floor, and an ominous feeling hung in the air.

Was Thomas’s creativity really doomed to always be split?


	63. Flirting

“Ah, but there is no one who knows romance quite like me,” Roman puffed up with pride, looking like a smug peacock. “No one who can weave together words to create such beautiful declarations of love. Sure no one can flirt like I can.”

“Roman, I fear your head won’t be able to fit through the door if you keep speaking like that,” Deceit shook his head. “And you’re wrong. Was it not a snake that seduced Eve into biting the fruit? I can flirt much better than you can.”

“Oh yeah?” Roman growled. “Why don’t you prove it, Snake Face?”

Deceit raised an eyebrow, but obliged. He stood up from his chair and walked closer to Roman. Roman flinched when Deceit began to crowd him, but he soon found himself backed against the wall.

“You put so much stock and effort into words, but you forget flirting is more that than,” Deceit purred. “You cannot wax poetic about the other without making a physical connection. A simple touch...”

He slowly ran his hand down Roman’s arm, ending with a gentle squeeze at the pulse point of Roman’s wrist. He kept his hand there, thumb rubbing over Roman’s wrist.

“We are a very touchy species,” Deceit lowered his volume and tone until he was in a near whisper. The sound of his voice sent a tingle down Roman’s spine and he was reminded of those ASMR videos Virgil liked to watch.

“But you cannot use such chaste touches,” Deceit’s other hand moved up to briefly cup Roman’s cheek before pushing a bit of hair behind his ear. “One must be bold. One must make sure the flesh will remember your touch.” Both hands settled on Roman’s waist. “Wrap them in your very presence. Make it so that all they can see and hear and feel... is you.”

He held eye contact with Roman, and the gold of his eye was near mesmerizing. Roman felt... well, he didn’t know how he felt. He felt small, but he felt protected. He felt like he had nothing to worry about with Deceit here.

“Such a beauty,” Deceit smiled. “I can see galaxies in your eyes, and your hair rustles like a lion’s fur. I feel an electricity in the air between us, and your lips... I wonder if they are as soft as they seem.”

He leaned closer to Roman.

“I should like...”

He brushed his lips against Roman’s.

“...to see...”

But then he moved further to whisper softly into Roman’s ear.

“Will you bite the apple, dear Eve?”

Roman flinched and shoved Deceit away. Deceit laughed as he stumbled, looking at Roman with great amusement.

“How?!” Roman yelped. “How did you do that?!”

“Animal magnetism,” Deceit shrugged.

“That’s a lie!” Roman snapped. “Tell the truth.”

“You think I’d tell you my secrets?” Deceit shook his head. “Have fun with your Shakespeare, Princey.”

Roman growled as Deceit walked away. One day he would figure out how Deceit did it. One day!


	64. Flirting 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The requested sequel...

“I don’t understand, my technique is flawless,” Deceit moaned. “It even worked on you, so why not him?” He glanced over to where Logan was quietly reading a book while sitting on the living room sofa. Deceit had tried to flirt with him earlier and was met with stone indifference.

“Please, your charms are nothing compared to mine,” Roman boasted.

“Then why did you fail too?” Deceit hissed. Roman blushed.

“Because Specs over there doesn’t feel emotions so of course my charms wouldn’t work,” Roman said, regaining his posture.

They had both challenged the other to see whose flirting worked the best. Their target had been Logan, but nothing had worked on him at all, much to their chagrin.

“You two are pathetic, you know that?” Remus was perched on the kitchen counter, munching on some uncooked spaghetti noodles. His crunching only seemed to annoy Roman even more.

“Oh yeah? I wouldn’t expect Tim Burton’s stepson to understand anything about love or flirting,” Roman growled. Deceit frowned at the insult and opened his mouth to scold Roman-

“Oh please, you two are just trying too hard,” Remus interrupted. “It’s easy to get a reaction from Logan, you’re just not doing it right.”

“Then show us,” Roman folded his arms. “Show us the flirting prowess of Beetlejuice’s unknown brother.”

“I thought I was Tim Burton’s stepson,” Remus grinned as he set his noodles aside and instead picked up a nearby book. With a smug look, he left the kitchen,

“Isn’t that one of Logan’s books?” Roman sounded shocked. Deceit shushed him, and they both watched carefully.

“Hey Logi Bear!” Remus hopped over the couch and plopped into the seat next to Logan’s arm chair.

“Remus,” Logan greeted the other with a smile. “How are you?”

“Well, that’s why I came over,” Remus held up the book. “I need your help.”

Logan froze and slowly turned his head to look at Remus.

“You... you need my help?”

“Yeah!” Remus nodded.

“You’re... willingly asking me for help?” Logan asked.

“Yeah!” Remus giggled. “It’s for a project I’m working on. I tried reading this book, but I can’t understand anything. You have all the knowledge and you explain things so well, so... I was hoping you could help.”

Deceit and Roman’s jaws dropped as they watched Logan close his book and turn his body to fully face Remus. That was all it took? No way! How was it working?!

“What kind of project is it?” Logan asked. “It sounds important if you were researching it.”

“See, Thomas got this new game called Subnautica,” said Remus. “And there’s a creature there called the Sea Emperor, and I’ve fallen in love with her. I was hoping to recreate her to swim in the oceans of my imagination, but I don’t want her to be sad, I want her to have a nice environment and everything. I was hoping you could help me figure out what would be the best envirnoment since you know all about this stuff.” Remus smiled brightly. “Please, Logi Bear? Will you help me? Please, please, please?”

Logan gave a chuckle at Remus’s enthusiasm.

“Of course, Remus. I would lo-” He paused then and cleared his throat. “I would enjoy helping you with your project.”

“Could you help me now while the inspiration’s flowing through me?” Remus tilted his head. “I need to start on it right away while the juices are going.”

“Fat chance,” Roman said softly to Deceit. He knew Logan was busy.

“Sure,” Logan agreed.

Deceit reached up an extra hand to muffle Roman as he shouted. Logan was breaking from his tasks and schedules? What the hell?!

“Great!” Remus jumped up and tugged Logan’s hand to make him follow. “Let’s go! We’re gonna make a home for the Sea Emperor!”

And if Remus subtly flashed a middle finger at his watching audience, only Deceit and Roman would know it.


	65. Revenge

Deceit knew something was wrong the moment he woke up.

Some gut instinct told him that something was very wrong, and he scrambled out of his bed and ripped his door open. Everything looked normal, except for the doors that led to the other bedrooms. Three of them had been sealed, planks of wood and thick chains keeping them shut.

Deceit paled, and his breathing picked up as he stumbled to the closest door. He tried to open it, his attempts steadily getting more panicked when it refused to do so. His conjuring abilities didn’t work, no tool would work, and even slamming his entire body weight against it wouldn’t work.

Deceit’s panic grew as he tried the next door and then the next. Same results. The doors refused to open. The next two doors were ok, no chains or planks there. Deceit opened them and checked the occupants. Virgil woke up in sleepy confusion, Remus stayed asleep. But they were both ok, and Deceit could feel relief over that.

But he could feel the traces of the side who had done this. He knew who had sealed the doors to the other Sides’ rooms and imprisoned them.

Deceit felt a rage fill him unlike anything he’d ever felt before. His eyes glowed yellow, his fangs and claws extended, and a ringing filled his ears. He quickly scaled the stairs in the living room, almost flying in his haste to get to the other side.

The Light Side living room was empty, but Deceit could hear chatter in the kitchen. Carefree chatter. Happy chatter. The chatter of people who had never had to fear a day in their life, who were all protected and unworried.

Deceit flew into the kitchen and set his sights on his target.

Patton’s eyes widened, and his shaking fingers dropped the bit of toast he was holding.

Deceit lunged forward and grabbed Patton by the front of his shirt, lifting him up into the air.

**“WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?!"** Deceit roared with a tone more terrifying than anyone had ever heard from him. **“LET THEM GO!”**

Patton’s expression changed to one of determination.

“I... I did it for Thomas! Th-those three are too powerful! Th-they might try to take over and make Thomas a bad person! I-I also meant to speak to you about Remus- ack!”

Deceit had wrapped his hands around Patton’s neck and was squeezing hard. The other sides leapt up in a panic and began to try to pull Patton free of Deceit’s grip.

**“I am going to murder you.”** Deceit said. **“You will die a death worse than the one you gave my children. You are the worst kind of scum for thinking you could lock away the children I have left!”**

“Remy! REMY!” Roman shouted, eyes tearing up in panic as he kept fighting with Deceit. “Remy we need you!”

Deceit could barely hear the others as he focused his rage on Patton. The other’s glasses has been knocked off and he was weakly trying to get free from Deceit’s vice like grip.

But Deceit was so focused that he didn’t notice the arrival of another Side. Suddenly, a rag was placed over his nose and mouth, and another arm was wrapped around his middle. Deceit could smell the sweet scent of Remy’s sand, and he struggled to not breathe it in, but it was no use.

He felt his limbs lose strength, and they fell away from Patton. His vision blurred, and he felt dizzy, his body slowly collapsing to the ground. Before he blacked out, tears fell from his eyes as he realized that this had all been in vain.

Even if he had gotten his revenge, it wouldn’t have brought his children back...


	66. Fusion 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Like Mother like Son...

“I don’t understand,” Roman said in exasperation. “Why didn’t it work? We both came from the same person, so why can’t we become him again?”

Roman was sitting on the couch, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Patton was sitting next to him and looking concerned. They had told Roman what the... creature... they had become had told them, and Roman didn’t take it well.

Remus was still unconscious and lying on the window seat with his own blanket. Deceit was at his side, carding his fingers through Remus’s hair.

“I don’t know, Kiddo,” Patton shrugged. “They said you two had been apart for too long. You’re just... not compatible. Or at least you weren’t when you fused...”

“Fusions can fail for a number of reasons,” said Virgil. “You did get Remus’s consent first, right?”

“Of course I did!” Roman snapped. “I’d never force a fusion. Remus said he would do it.”

“Did he sound like he wanted to, or did he sound like he was trying to shut you up?” Virgil asked, raising an eyebrow.

Roman paused and pointedly looked away. Virgil rolled his eyes and walked out.

“You’re an ass,” he said to Roman as he passed. He pat Deceit’s shoulder as he disappeared up the stairs. Deceit glared over at Roman, eyes narrowing dangerously. Roman gulped nervously and looked away again, focusing on Patton.

“I just... I wanted to be the entity I used to be. I was once a king! I could create such wonderful things!” said Roman. “If only I could go back to being that person... imagine the things Thomas could do with my help. I could be great again!”

“What?”

Roman froze and slowly looked back over at the window. Remus had woken up and was looking at Roman in confusion.

“You... you only wanted to fuse because you wanted to become the King again and relive the glory days? But... but you said it was so that we would stop fighting. So that I could be great too. So that we could work together. So that we could... create...”

It was almost like a scene in slow motion.

Roman could see the dawning on Remus’s expression as it slowly morphed from confusion to realization... to anger, and then to rage.

And then suddenly Remus was on the couch with his hands around Roman’s throat. He was snarling and squeezing as hard as he could, and he’d done it so fast that it took Patton a moment to process what had happened.

“Remus! Let him go! Let him go now!” Patton tried to pry Remus’s hands away, but the other clung as tightly as his tentacles could. Remus’s eyes were bright green, terrifying to look at with such an expression of manic rage.

“Remus!” Deceit grabbed Remus around the middle and pulled. His extra limbs sprouted and managed to get Remus’s hands off of Roman’s neck. The other coughed and wheezed as he scrambled to get away from Remus.

“How dare you!” Remus was thrashing in Deceit’s six arms, trying to get back to Roman. “How dare you! You used me! You used me to fuse! You used me!” He sounded nearly hysterical, half mad with emotion. Tears welled up in his eyes and fell down his face as he continued to yell.

“You’re not my brother! You’re not my brother! Do you hear me, Roman?! YOU’RE NOT MY BROTHER!”

Deceit had managed to drag Remus away by then, but his muffled shouts could still be heard as he was taken downstairs. 

Roman was in shock as the muffled shouts faded, leaving the living room in stunned silence. 

“Roman, are you ok?” Patton fussed over the bruises on Roman’s neck. “Roman? Kiddo?”

But Roman stayed silent, still looking in the direction Deceit had taken Remus. The pain was much more than his neck.

He felt as if The Split had happened all over again.


	67. Costumes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sides all get dressed up

“Are we all here?” Thomas looked around at the group and smiled. “Looks like it! Wow, it’s getting kind of crowded isn’t it?” 

Indeed, instead of the usual four, there were now six Sides for him to interact with. All of them dressed differently in their costumes for Halloween. 

“It’s not too bad,” Deceit shrugged. No one could tell if that was a lie or not.

“Well, I’m happy to have the whole family together,” Patton grinned brightly. “And look at all these neato costumes! But... I don’t recognize some of them. How about we all go around and say what or who we are?”

“Sounds great,” said Thomas. “I’ll go first. Obviously... I’m Thor from the Marvel movies.” He swung a foam hammer and posed heroically. “Pretty cool, huh?”

“Another Marvel costume?” Roman raised an eyebrow. He was wearing a black dress and had painted himself green. “I thought we were more creative than that. I didn’t repeat last year’s costume.”

“Obviously not,” said Logan. “You’re the Wicked Witch of the West this year.”

“How dare you?!” Roman gasped dramatically. “I am Elphaba from Wicked.”

Logan paused for a moment, obviously thinking.

“So... the Wicked Witch of the West,” he repeated.

“Elphaba from Wicked!” Roman argued.

“Children!” Deceit spoke up. “You’re both technically right, stop arguing.”

“Oh yeah, Mr. Jehovah’s Witless, what costume are you rocking?” Roman sneered.

Deceit was wearing black pants, a white shirt, and a black tie, but his hair had been teased out and both eyes were glowing gold.

“I’m Bigby Wolf from The Wolf Among Us,” Deceit answered, looking proud of his costume.

“Oh, great game,” Thomas said. “I should play it again. I never got all the paths before. But it’s hard to be mean and kill everyone-”

“You kill people in that game?” Patton yelped.

“It’s just a game,” Thomas sighed.

“Thomas, you know how studies link video game violence with mass murder-”

“Logan, how about you go next?” Deceit interrupted Patton’s lecture and earned a thankful look from Thomas.

“I am Data, a Soong Type Android from the popular Tv show Star Trek: The Next Generation,” Logan said, straightening his posture to mimic his character.

“Very nice Logan,” Patton said, seeming to forget about his lecture. “And I’m...” He posed and held up a golden hammer. “Fix It Felix Jr! Ting, ting!” He made little noises as he gently bopped Thomas with his hammer.

“Nice one, Patton,” Virgil said from the stairs. “I decided to take a chance this year and went with Barrel from the Nightmare Before Christmas.” He lifted his mask and licked a large lollipop he was carrying.

“Amazing!” Remus said. His face was half made up to look mutilated and his hair was slicked back. He wore a patched vest and bow tie with a dress shirt and slacks. He also carried a fake knife. “I’m... the Groom from Outlast Whistleblower.”

“Oh, are you getting married?” Patton asked, having no idea who Remus was talking about.

“Maybe,” Remus grinned and played with his knife. “If I can... find the right bride...”

“Ok, well I’ll be having nightmares tonight,” Thomas said. Patton gave him a confused look, but Thomas kept on before Patton could ask. “Now that we’re all here, let’s get this party started! My friends should be over any minute now...”

He turned on the stereo to some Halloween classics and music soon filled the air.


	68. Makeup

It was no secret that Pink loved his makeup. In fact, it was a rare sight to see him without it. From when he woke in the morning, to when he showered and retired at night, his whole face was contoured and highlighted, his eyes were framed in beautiful colors with eyeliner wings that could cut steel, and his lips were painted as well.

This particular day, he had a guest when he was putting his makeup on. Teen Remus was watching with rapt attention, asking questions about shading and the numerous brushes on the table. Pink was only too happy to give him some knowledge on the art.

“Can you do my makeup too?” Remus asked as Pink capped his lipstick. Pink smiled and ruffled Remus’s hair. 

“Sure! Always happy to help a novice.” He sat Remus in his chair and began to look over Remus’s face. “Hmm... I’ll have to do a few things differently because your skin tone is a bit paler, but... I think I can pull this off. Pick a few colors, Remus.”

“Um... green,” said Remus. “And black, and...yellow!”

Pink chuckled and fondly shook his head. “You got it. Now, hold still. If you move too much, you’re gonna mess it up...”

Asking Remus was like asking a dog to stop wagging its tail. It was doable, but not often. This time, though... Remus actually managed to keep his movements to a minimum. He squirmed a bit when foundation was slathered over his face, or when the ticklish brushes ran across his face or poked him. Pink kept his back to the mirror, wanting the look to be a surprise.

“And... done!” Pink spun Remus around to look in the mirror. “What do you think?”

Remus gasped, nearly not recognizing the face in the mirror. His cheekbones had been highlighted in gold, and his eyes had been painted the green and yellow he liked. Eyeliner outlined his eyes, giving them a slightly sinister but glamorous look. His lips were a mix of black that faded into red in the center.

“I... oh my god, I look like a Disney villain!” Remus happily clapped his hands. “Maleficent, eat your heart out!”

Pink burst into laughter as he began to pack away his brushes and palettes. 

“You do look good,” he said. “Go show the others, I bet they’ll love it.”

“I will! Thanks so much!” Remus threw his arms around Pink and squeezed them tightly in a hug before rushing out of the room.


	69. Poetry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've been away! I had no internet for the past week, but now that I do I'm gonna churn out as many of these as I can.

Remus glared at the notebook he’d been scribbling in as if it had personally insulted him. Perhaps, in a way, it had.

He grumbled to himself as he ripped the page out, crumpled it, and then tossed it into the rather large pile that had gathered nearby. He was running out of pages for this notebook, and it was his third one. At this rate, he’d cut down an entire forest with all the paper he was using.

What would happen if all the trees were cut down? Would they all die from lack of oxygen? Would oxygen be horded by the rich and sold in stores or in shady alleys-

He shook his head, bringing his thoughts back to the present. He was trying to write a poem for someone. He’d heard that the logical side had an appreciation for poetry, and Remus was quite the poet.

Except now, all of his works were terrible, and not in a good way. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t come up with something he was satisfied with. 

Granted, he wasn’t writing his usual stuff. No blood or zombies or severed limbs in these words. No, he was trying to be more... more... he wasn’t sure what the word was, but he knew it didn’t involve blood, zombies, or severed limbs.

“Brother!” Roman appeared next to him holding a set of papers and wearing a triumphant smile. “A little dove told me that you were trying to write a poem. Since I’m quite the expert in poetry and romance, I thought I’d lend a hand by writing something for you.”

Remus blearily looked over and took the papers from Roman. He put down the chewed up pencil he’d been writing with and began reading. Roman watched with anticipation as Remus flipped through the poem. He gave a nod when he finished and straightened the papers.

“Thank you, brother. It’s wonderful.”

“Oh, it was no trouble- WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

Roman’s indignant shriek was over the fact that Remus had crumpled the poem and stuffed it into his mouth. He struggled to chew while Roman growled.

“WHY would you DO THAT?!”

“Because!” Remus’s voice was very muffled from his chewing. “Because it’s. Not...” 

He paused between each word to chew, finally holding up a finger to chew some more. Roman rolled his eyes. 

“Ugh, just spit it out. You’ve made your point.”

“No! I’m gonna finish it!” Remus continued to chew until he was finally able to swallow it down. He coughed a few times and sighed before looking back up at his brother.

“I was saying, because it’s not something that I wrote. I want to write the poem and I want it to be my own words. It’s just... it’s hard writing about romance when you can’t talk about literal hearts. And I want to write something great to give them!”

“You’re giving this to someone?” Roman gave a sly smile. “They didn’t tell me that. They just said you were trying to write a poem. Who are you writing this poem for?”

“No one!” Remus blushed a deep green. “No one at all! You misunderstood! You’re hearing things! You’re feverish! You have malaria and are experiencing auditory hallucinations and you’re gonna die from excessive vomiting and diarrhea!”

Roman looked unimpressed at Remus’s outburst, grinning still at the green blush on Remus’s cheeks.

“Oh come on, you can trust me! I won’t tell a soul. I have to know now. It must be someone important if you’re blushing like this.”

“No! Go away! Get!” Remus opened his mouth and hissed loudly at his brother, clutching the much thinner notebook to his chest. 

“Fine. I bet I can figure out from these,” Roman looked at the pile of crumpled paper and reached for one of the paper balls.

Remus stiffened, looking at his pile of failed poetry. If Roman did enough digging, he’d figure it out easily. 

Well... Desperate times. Desperate measures.

Remus slammed his hands onto the pile just as Roman touched one of the paper balls. In just a second or two, flames burst forth and engulfed the pile, causing the prince to yelp and jump back.

“Remus! You almost burned me!”

But Remus just sighed in relief as his brother scolded him. His secret was safe for now...


	70. Poetry 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sequel to the last chapter. I love this too much to stop it yet.

“What’s a good word that rhymes with ‘intestines’?” Remus looked up at the large crow that was standing on the log in front of him. He was sitting in the forest of his imagination. Nearby, he could hear the weird sisters cackling and dancing, but he hadn’t made his presence known to them.

The crow cawed loudly, causing Remus to tilt his head.

“Hmm... that word doesn’t roll off the tongue quite as well. Maybe I should go back and rewrite the last line...” He said, writing in the new notebook he’d summoned. He had a new pile of crumpled paper nearby, some of them rolling in the wind and snow.

_“A light in the dark that scares away the phantoms and chains, Blessed defender who hath rode in on horse with thunderous neighs. Ration and logic to defeat the dragons and monsters of old, calm the storm of icy wind and rain so cold...”_

Remus blinked as he looked at what he had written so far. His hand gripped the edge of the page, but he didn’t rip it out yet. Maybe... maybe he could keep this train going.

“WHY DOES IT SOUND LIKE ROMAN’S WORDS?! I CANT DO THIS!”

Remus’s shouting had scattered a nearby flock of birds, and they took flight into the sky. Remus flopped onto the ground, still gripping the page as if to rip it out, but he couldn’t bear to do it. Even if it sounded like Roman’s words, it still sounded normal.

It sounded like something they would like.

Remus growled and dropped the notebook in his lap. He drug his hands down his face in frustration. Why was it so hard to write a normal poem?

_Because this isn’t you. It’s not your job to do what Roman does. Your talents lie elsewhere, and it’s something you should be proud of. Stop trying to be like your brother and just be yourself. You are not the same person..._

Deceit’s words rang through his head, the words echoing once again. He’d heard those words in his youth, and they had come back to him many times. In short, Remus was lying to himself with all these tries. It may sound good, but it wasn’t him. These were not his words, and he just... if they liked him back it wouldn’t matter, would it? If they liked him back, they would like the poems about viscera and dismemberment and being flayed alive.

So why try so hard to be someone he wasn’t?

Remus tore the page from the book and tossed it aside.

Time to start again. This time, with more blood.


	71. Husband

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus asks Pink a question. Also, the law Remus mentions is very real in the state of Florida where Thomas lives. XD

Pink was eating a bowl of cereal when little Remus came in and sat down at the table with him. He was looking at Pink as if he was trying to figure something out, and Pink could practically see little gears turning in that child’s mind.

“Are you Mama’s husband?” Remus finally asked.

Pink paused, spoon still in his mouth, amusement showing on his face. He slowly chewed, looking down at the little one. Remus’s face was innocent, simply wanting an answer for his question. Ah, the innocence of youth.

Pink rather missed that Side...

“What makes you ask that?” Pink asked, setting his spoon down and pushing his bowl aside. He always gave Remus or Virgil his full attention when they came to ask him something.

“Because you and Mama spend a lot of time together in your room,” Remus said. “And the tv said that’s what Mommies and Daddies do. So... does that make you my Daddy?”

Pink smiled warmly and shook his head.

“I’m not your Dad,” he said. “I’m more like... your older brother. But I’m also not Juke’s husband. I’m... someone who helps him feel better sometimes when he’s stressed out. It’s not just him, I help the other Sides when they need it too. It doesn’t mean I’m married to them either.”

“Yeah, cuz the tv said that it’s illegal to be married to lots of people,” said Remus. “Why is that?”

“Oh, we don’t have time to unpack all that,” Pink chuckled. “It’s just... it’s one of those laws that don’t make sense.”

“Like how it’s illegal to sell ice cream in a cemetery?” Remus asked.

“Is it?” Pink asked. “Dang... well, there goes my business.”

Remus giggled and stole a handful of cereal from Pink’s bowl.

“Are you my brother like how Roman is?” He asked.

Pink stiffened at the mention of Remus’s twin. He’d heard all about their falling out from Juke and had been there with the other sides to help Remus come to terms with what had happened. And with it, a grudge had been set against Roman for what he had done.

“No,” He finally said. “Not like Roman. It’s different from that.”

Remus stole another handful of cereal and stuffed it into his mouth.

“I’m glad,” he said softly. “You’re nicer than Roman is.”

He held out his arms and Pink pulled Remus into a hug. He was an older brother, and he’d protect his little bro with all he had.


	72. Poetry 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The epic conclusion...

Remus needed to give Virgil a big hug after this. If this is what anxiety was and how it felt, then Virgil was a badass.

They weren’t showing any emotion as they read his poem. Oh, they raised an eyebrow! Was that good or bad? Why was it so hard to tell what they were thinking? Why did Remus decide to write something in his own voice? He should have... he should have done more research first.

Maybe rejecting Roman’s help had been a bad idea.

Oh, they tilted their head!

What did that mean?!

Remus bit his lip, fidgeted with his hands, nearly squirmed in place from the tension. Tension was bad. Tension made him to things to relieve it, and he highly doubted making a balloon animal from a large intestine would make things better.

“Well...” they finally spoke. “That was an interesting poem. I really liked it.”

“I KNEW IT!” Remus wailed. “I should have tried something else! I knew you wouldn’t like it, I...” he suddenly blinked and lowered the arms he had raised in his emotional turmoil.

“You... you like it?”

“I do,” Logan smiled. “While the subject matter is a bit gruesome, your command of rhythm and iambic pentameter is exceptional. The words you chose to create the imagery are amazing. The alliteration and assonance are very well done. In short, this... this is a very well written poem, Remus. And the fact that you wrote it for me... no one’s ever really written a poem for me before.”

He blushed, and Remus melted at the sight. To see then normally so stoic side blush was an image that Remus would tattoo onto his eyeballs so that he could always see it. He loved making Logan blush.

“I’m going to keep this in my special desk drawer,” Logan said. “Thank you, Remus.”

“I’m glad you like it,” now Remus was blushing, the green on his cheeks a contrast to Logan’s red. “I know you like poetry. Maybe... maybe you could... come help me write a poem? In my side of the imagination? I mean... only if you want. You don’t have to...”

He could barely meet Logan’s eyes. The logical side slowly reached out and ruffled Remus’s hair.

“I would... like that very much. Let’s go write a ballad to rival Roman’s,” he said. 

He and Remus didn’t leave the imagination for the rest of the day.


	73. Intentions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deceit and Logan have a chat...

"Have a seat, Logan.”

Logan supposed he should have expected this. Word had gotten out about him and Remus, and of course that would have prodded the mama bear within Deceit. He’d been called to Deceit’s room for a chat.

The room was dimly lit in a way that cloaked Deceit in just enough shadow to make his eyes glow brighter. He was sitting behind a desk in his full ‘uniform’, with two extra pairs of arms out. One was steepled to rest his chin upon, the second pair was folded neatly on the desk, and the third pair were resting on the desk to the sides. They were drumming their claws against the wood.

Logan sat in the lone chair in front of the desk, looking unfazed. He wasn’t scared of the display, nor was he intimidated. Deceit was protective, but he was also one of the few sides who kept his emotions in check until pushed too far. Logan hadn’t pushed him yet, so...

Besides, Deceit wasn’t dumb enough to hurt him for no reason.

“I’ve heard word about you and Remus,” Deceit said, voice low and steady. “I’ve heard the two of you have become rather... close. I’m sure you can understand my concerns. Remus is... special. He needs someone who can understand his quirks and be patient with him. I know you can be patient to a degree, but I’m also worried. You do often say you don’t experience emotions. How do I know you’ll treat Remus as he deserves? And I warn you... I’ll know if you lie.”

_clikclikclak_

_clikclikclak_

Deceit’s claws continued to drum, filling the silence that now stretched between the two sides.

Logan could indeed understand the concerns. Remus was not like the other sides, and his personality was one that could be... annoying. Deceit, acting as the figurative mother bear, was just making sure Remus wouldn’t get hurt.

“I would like to pose a question,” said Logan. “Do you know why I convinced Thomas that Remus is harmless and not a threat?”

Deceit blnked at that. The first pair of hands lowered and folded across his chest instead.

“Because you wanted to help Thomas sleep and you were concerned about his health,” he said.

“True,” said Logan. “But only partially.” He sighed and adjusted his glasses.

“I... I know what it’s like to be a... less favored Side,” he said. “I know what it’s like to be ignored or made fun of or insulted. I know what it’s like to be frustrated that all you’re doing is your job, but no one likes you for it. And I knew how the others felt about the Dark Sides, of which Remus was proudly a part of.”

He cleared his throat, and Deceit silently watched him speak.

“I did not want Remus to go through that. I empathised with his plight, and... I wanted to show Thomas and the others that there was no reason to fear him. He may be crude and violent, but... there is an innocence to him. He’s simply doing the job asigned to him. He cannot help how he is.”

Deceit’s third pair of arms stopped drumming and slid off the table, vanishing into nothing once again.

“And I find his quirks... endearing in a way. He sounds like a child simply wanting to know how the world works, even if his questions are gruesome,” Logan continued. “And he can come up with some great ideas. I’ve worked with him, and his passion and attention to detail are things to be admired.”

Deceit’s second pair of arms slid away and vanished like the other set, leaving him with his normal arms.

“The point is, that while Remus acts different from us, he is still a part of Thomas. He still deserves love and affection and to be listened to like the rest of us,” Logan shrugged. “And... I really do like him. Not love. Not yet, at least. But... I... I would like to pursue things and see where the figurative dice fall.”

Deceit sat there and looked at Logan. All of that... had been true. He could sense Logan’s conflict with emotions and attachments, fighting his nature for this thing that he actually wanted. It wouldn’t be an easy road, but if anyone was determined to see something through, it was Logan.

Deceit stood up and smiled.

“I think we’re done here. I trust you to treat Remus as he should be. I’ll be keeping an eye on you two, though. But hear this... if you intentionally hurt him in any way... I’ll make you wish you could fade away.”

Deceit’s words were accompanied by a hiss and a flash of fangs...


	74. Duties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I have a color assigned to each new side. I'm sure you can figure out their colors in this chapter. Anyway, this is a little peek into the time when the family was still learning to get along. Reminder that Pan is Greed and Morey is Pride.

“But I want it.”

“I know you do, but you have to share with the others.”

“But I want it.”

“You already had breakfast. Let Morey have this omlette.”

Pan glanced down at the plate of food in his hand. His ringed fingers tapped against the plate as he thought about Deceit’s words. He wanted it. That means they should give it to him, right? Why did he have to share with Morey?

“Pan, let Morey have this food. You already ate, but if you want more you can cook it yourself. Let Morey have this one.”

Deceit kept his tone firm. No one really knew when he had been established as the ‘head’ of their little family, but sometimes he felt like a single mother trying to raise her children.

Pan bit his lip. He wanted this food. He should get to have this food. But Deceit had told him to share. Maybe... maybe this one time? He could always make more for himself and then no one would take that from him. He could eat it all.

“Thank you, Pan,” Deceit smiled as the other side handed over the food. The silver jeweled rings glimmered in the kitchen light, matching the large chain Pan wore around his neck. 

“Whatever,” Pan shrugged as he stepped over to cook more food. Deceit handed the plate over to Morey, who was busy checking his hair in his hand mirror.

“Just because you’re Thomas’s greed doesn’t mean you should be a pig and hog all the food,” Morey said, finally putting his mirror down. Pan rolled his eyes and cracked an egg into the skillet.

“Well, you hog all the mirrors. And hair products. And I know you’ve stolen my clothes before,” he said.

“I have to look nice,” said Morey. He smoothed out the white shirt he was wearing. Indeed, there wasn’t a single wrinkle in it. “It’s called taking pride in your appearance. Covering yourself in silver and jewels isn’t a subsitute for actual fashion.”

“Boys!” Deceit snapped from his chair. “It’s far too early for arguing. You both need to learn to share and be nicer to the other, so there. Argument over, let’s move on. Morey, I need you to help Thomas pick out his suit when he goes shopping today. Pan, I need you to make sure Thomas doesn’t get the short end of the stick when he goes to the florist. You know they like to rip people off, and he’s too soft to argue by himself.”

“Relax, I’ll have Thomas looking like a king at his dance,” Morey said, finally eating.

“And I’ll make sure no one scams Thomas,” Pan said, adding bacon to his breakfast. “We may argue, but you can at least count on us to do our jobs...”

Deceit sighed as he sipped his mug of tea.


	75. COPPA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thought I'd write something in light of all the stuff going on with Youtube.

“What are we going to do?” Patton asked. “We can’t afford to be too family friendly anymore.”

“Literally,” Logan said, looking over some papers. “The fines will swiftly drain your bank account. And what’s worse, youtube has yet to put out a clear and concise rubric as to what may and may not cause a fine to be assessed. Of course I doubt they will as it will cause them to become liable for any fines or infractions...”

“So what, no more Disney?” Roman looked horrified. “But... no! I refuse! You cannot make me give up Disney!”

“We might have to,” Virgil sighed. “Youtube’s going to be cracking down on everyone. No one will be safe, not even the creators who have the most subscribers or generate the mose revenue. If it gets bad enough... we might have to jump ship and post out videos somewhere else.”

“Ooh, maybe we can have our own website...” Patton smiled. 

“Guys, relax.” Thomas looked around at them. “It might not even be as bad as everyone is saying. And even so, we might not have to change that much. I mean, some people just start off the video with a bunch of swear words and then go about their business as usual.”

Patton looked horrified at the thought of swearing.

“But even if we do have to change things...” Thomas slowly smiled. “We have our own expert on how to make videos not family friendly.”

“Who?” Roman asked.

“Hey, Remus!” Thomas summoned their resident trash panda, who rose up with a look of confusion. He had a half eaten peanut butter, mustard, pickle, bologna, and anchovy sandwich in his hands. Obviously, he was in the middle of lunch.

“Did... did you just summon me?” Remus’s voice was muffled though the food in his mouth.

“I did,” Thomas said. “You’re not busy, are you?”

Remus quickly swallowed his mouthful and tossed his sandwich aside.

“Of course not! What’s up, Thomas?”

“So... there’s this whole thing with youtube and COPPA,” said Thomas. “It’s all about targeting children with ads and saying that we can’t make things too family friendly anymore in a way that might attract children.”

“What? That sounds like bullshit,” Remus frowned.

“Exactly,” said Thomas. “But we might not have a choice in the matter. I need you to help me make the videos less family friendly so that I don’t get fined, but not so much that I get demonetised. I’m sure you can do that, right?”

“Wait... you mean you WANT me to make the videos less kid friendly?” Remus asked. “You really do? You want me to talk about butts and dismemberment and falling off buildings?”

“That’s exactly what I want,” said Thomas. “Will you help us?”

Remus’s expression morphed into one that could only be described as excited pride. He stood tall and put his hands on his hips, his tentacles sprouting to life and waving idly behind him.

“At last!” Remus cried out. “My time to shine!”

“You sure this is a good idea, Thomas?” Patton asked. He looked worried, fideting with his cardigan.

“Positive,” Thomas nodded. “Remus won’t let me down.”

“Step one!” said Remus. “Everyone remove your shirts. Everyone knows that nipples are not family friendly...”

Oh yeah, Remus wasn’t going to let Thomas down at all...


	76. Authors Note

Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving to whoever celebrates it! I sadly won’t have another chapter today but I wanted to run a quick poll for future chapters.

In these drabbles and my other main story, I’ve introduced six new dark sides: Pan (Greed), Morey (Pride), Sevrin (Discipline), Pink (Libido), Orange (Anger), and Grey (Sorrow).

Which ones would you like to hear more about? And would you guys like to know the names of the last three in these drabbles or wait until they are introduced in the main story? I do plan on having them in there, but it will be some time until they show up. I might even wait and do a sequel for them.

Anyway, please comment and share your thoughts on who you’d like to see more of. Thank you guys so much for all the comments so far and all the kind words!


	77. Creation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Do I need to do a warning for religious imagery and bible quotes? Eh, I'm gonna do it anyway.
> 
> Warning for religious imagery and bible quotes.

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?"

Deceit was not one of the first Sides created, but he was one of the first to receive a solid form. Little Thomas was at church during Deceit’s creation, the words he heard crafting an image in his head.

A snake. Yes, it was a snake who tempted Eve. A snake who was the Deceiver. A snake who lied and manipulated and was a dastardly villain.

And so scales began to sprout on Deceit’s flesh. One eye turned yellow, and the pupil became a slit. Fangs grew in his mouth, and his tongue forked.

“Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."”

Deceived her. Deceiver. Deceit.

Lies. Liar.

Liar! What a villain!

“But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”

Lying was bad. Lying was so bad. Only villains lie! Only adults lie! Good little boys and girls didn’t lie...

And so Deceit was formed. An adult with snake features, dressed in dark clothes like the villains from the movies and cartoons that Thomas watched.

Deceit knew his place in Thomas’s mind. He new his name. He knew his duty.

Deceive. Lie.

But oh, what was this?

Deceit could see Thomas’s memories, and he could see the world from Thomas’s eyes. And the world... was not a good place all the time. Indeed... murderers and thieves and hypocrites pulled the strings of society, tilting the odds and the scales in their favor and doing all they could to preserve their wealth and power.

And the people on the streets were no better.

“Hey little boy. Are your parents around? Let’s go get some ice cream!”

“N-no, my parents are waiting for me. I have to go.”

_That was a lie!_

**You would prefer the truth and let that man take Thomas away?**

Honesty was not the best policy. Self sacrifice made one bleed and suffer. When one has given away everything, what was one left with? And could one always assume that the people around them were good and had his best interests at heart?

“Thomas, don’t you like Aunt Patti’s cooking?”

“Yeah, it’s yummy!”

_That was a lie!_

**And? We have spared our aunt’s feelings. Look how happy she is.**

Deceit found himself constantly butting heads with Thomas’s Morality. The other Side was determined to make Thomas into a good person. He was the loudest of all, telling Thomas to be good and tell the truth and help people and give freely.

But Thomas could not afford to be such a person. There had to be a balance. A middle ground. A compromise.

And the other side had no interest in that.

Well... Deceit would have to be the one to protect Thomas then.

**Do not worry, Thomas. I will keep you safe. You will see that lying is not always so bad...**


	78. Fairy

The night had started peacefully enough.

Deceit had put the youngest sides to sleep before retiring himself. He’d fallen asleep a little after that, and all seemed to be well.

But then there was a loud scream, a yelp, and some cursing.

Deceit was out of his bed in a flash and rushed down the hallway to Remus’s room. He threw the door open to see... Remy?

The Side in question was rubbing his head and glaring at Remus, who was holding his morningstar in his hands.

“What’s going on?” Deceit asked, looking between the two.

“It’s the Organ Fairy!” Remus said. “He’s come to steal my organs!”

“No! I’m Sleep,” said Remy. “You’ve been staying up all night for a few days now so I came by to help you get to sleep.”

“See?!” Remus gestured as if that proved everything.

It was far too late in the night for this to be happening. Deceit sighed and ran a hand down his face.

“Remus, he’s telling the truth,” he said. “He’s Thomas’s sleep. He helps us sleep too.”

“That’s what he wants you to think!” Remus narrowed his eyes at Remy. “He makes you think that, and then the next thing you know you’re waking up in a bath tub full of ice with sloppy stitches down your side while he’s selling your kidneys on the black market!”

Remy blinked a few times over the tops of his sunglasses. 

“Gurl... what movies have you been letting him watch?” He turned and asked Deceit. 

“What’s going on? I heard a scream!” 

Of course Virgil would be showing up. He was cluthing his little teddy bear and looking panicked. Deceit sighed again and opened his mouth to explain-

“He wants to steal your organs!” Remus shrieked. “Run, Virgil! Run and lock your door!”

Virgil rushed off in a panic, running down the hall and into his room. Deciet could see the door shake as it was locked, and then he heard multiple thuds as Virgil began to barricade the door.

“Ha! You will not be stealing Virgil’s organs today!” Remus said, raising his morningstar again.

Remy took a very very long sip from the straw of his Starbucks as he looked at Remus with a deadpan expression.

“You know what? Screw it. Go without sleep, I’m not dealing with this.”

And then he was sinking out, leaving Deceit to go and try to coax Virgil out of his room.


	79. Creation 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wonder if I should make this into a series and do the other Sides.

Thomas’s Morality was also one of the first Sides to gain a solid form.

Thomas watched his cartoons and movies, looking at all the smiling fathers who gently scolded their children and made sure they behaved. Ah, Thomas’s own father would do that too. Just yesterday, his father had to remind him to not run in the house...

And so Patton became a father.

His form shifted as Thomas let his thoughts wander.

Glasses, because every dad wore glasses.

A soft sweater for hugs.

A cardigan knotted over the back to look like a cape.

Because every dad was a hero!

And thus, Patton was brought to life. He knew his name, he knew his job, and he knew his duties. Everything else was new.

Including that strange snake man whom he often butted heads with.

But that wasn’t important! He had a job to do: guide Thomas into being a good person.

At first he was like any other father, letting Thomas get away with a few things, but keeping him on the right path. But then Patton began to learn about the world around him. He learned what happened to bad people. Bad people went to prison. Bad people were punished. Bad people were tossed aside and died alone.

He didn’t want that for Thomas, so he became stricter.

He kept Thomas’s emotions in check and kept a closer eye on what he did. More than once, he had to quell a tantrum because good boys didn’t act that way.

**He’s upset! Can’t you see?**

_He needs to behave! Now hush._

“Thomas, I need you to help me pull the weeds in the garden.”

“... Ok, Mom.”

**He’s exhausted! He should take a nap instead.**

_His mother asked for help. It’s the right thing to do._

Patton loved Thomas as his own son, and he only wanted what was best for him. If Thomas behaved, if he did the right thing, if he helped others... then he would be happy and he would have lots of friends and family who loved him too.

It was all for the best.


	80. Frozen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> btw, Deceit's opinion on Frozen is much like mine. Decent movie, but not worth all the hype and praise that came with it.

“I don’t understand,” Roman said, sounding almost desperate. “How... how can you not like Frozen?”

Deceit rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Are you really asking me that? Do I even need a reason? I have plenty of them, by the way.”

“Enlighten me,” Roman crossed his arms and sat down. “Tell me why you don’t like Frozen and I’ll decide if they’re good reasons or not.”

“Ugh, fine!” Deceit paused his movie and turned towards Roman. “For starters, most of it comes from the fact that the movie was decent at best, and yet everyone is treating it as if it was made by some ancient god or something.”

“It was,” said Roman. “It was made by Disney.”

“But it’s still only a decent movie,” said Deceit. “And yet Thomas can’t go into a store without hearing the songs on the radio or seeing the characters smiling at him from the shelves. Not to mention, they replaced the Malestrom with a Frozen ride that was not worth the hour Thomas waited in line to ride it, and that was with a fast pass! People obsess over this movie and hail it as some perfect masterpiece and it isn’t! There are far more deserving Disney movies out there.”

“But it’s a story about sisterhood!” Roman said. “A story that didn’t depend on the main princess having to marry and find love!”

Deceit rolled his eyes again. It was like talking to a brick wall. A brick wall where every brick was asking you questions because it couldn’t just accept your opinion and needed you to write an essay and show a powerpoint presentation to explain your thoughts and views.

“Did you forget about Lilo and Stitch?” Deceit asked. “Nani protected and raised Lilo and always made sure she knew she was loved and appreciated. Nani didn’t run off and abandon Lilo, which by the way she had been pursuing a career in surfing but gave it all up to raise her sister. And as for your other point, the movie Brave didn’t have the princess fall in love or marry someone. AND it had more than one male character so we weren’t all immediately knowing who she was going to fall in love with...”

“Oh come on!” Roman cried. Why was Deceit being so difficult? It must have been because Roman liked this movie. Roman liked it, so Deceit had to dislike it. That was the only explanation.

“What about the music?!” Roman said. “The songs!”

“Moana has better songs,” Deceit shrugged. “I’m quite fond of them, actually.”

“But what about ‘Let it Go’?” Roman said. “It was a phenomenal song-”

“LET IT GO IS JUST A POOR MAN’S VERSION OF ‘DEFYING GRAVITY’!” Deceit roared, his patience finally snapping. 

Roman gasped and drew his sword.

“How dare you?!” he said. “How dare you say such a vile and horrible and completely true thing?!” He dissolved into dramatic sobs and dropped his sword. “Idina! Idina... take me back to Wicked...”

Deceit took up the remote and unpaused his movie. Roman would run out of steam eventually, best to let him tire himself out.

After all, that’s what he'd done when Remus threw a tantrum in his younger years...


	81. Scary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more of the other Sides...

It was a peaceful morning at the breakfast table. 

Tristan was slowly spreading butter on his toast (happy that he actualy felt well enough to eat this morning), Little Virgil and Remus were eating the eggs and sausage that Vixen had made, and Deceit was sipping his tea.

Of course that all shattered when there was a sudden and loud roar from one of the rooms upstairs. 

The whole table flinched collectively. Tristan’s knife went through his toast completely, Vixen nearly dropped the plate of food he’d been carrying over, and Deceit had flinched so badly he spilled some of his tea.

All was silent for a moment before Virgil began to cry in fear. Deceit frowned and moved to go scold the Side upstairs, but Vixen waved him off.

“I got him,” he nodded at Virgil with a meaningful look before rushing upstairs.

“My toast,” Tristan lamented softly, putting his slice back on his plate. Remus pushed over a piece of his own toast, sensing that this side would start crying too if he wasn’t quick.

“Virgil, it’s ok,” Deceit pulled the crying side into his lap, rubbing the other’s back soothingly. “It was just Devlin.”

As if on cue, a loud smack and yelp of pain came from the upstairs. Deceit could imagine Vixen with his hands on his hips and furiously whispering at Devlin. Deceit had encouraged the early morning primal scream therapy, but within reason...

Virgil whimpered and sniffled, but he was slowly calming down. No matter what Deceit tried, the young Side always seemed on edge. Always waiting for something bad to happen. He’d gotten much better from what he’d been like when he had first arrived, though.

There were footsteps on the stairs, and a very sheepish Devlin appeared, followed by a still glaring Vixen. They both stepped into the kitchen and Vixen cleared his throat.

“Hey Virgie... I’m... I’m really sorry I scared you,” said Devlin. “See, I do these screams to help me feel better when I get really angry, but... I guess I forgot to soundproof my room first. I wasn’t angry with you, I promise. I’m really sorry, buddy. Can you forgive me?”

Virgil looked up from Deceit’s shoulders and sniffled loudly. He looked up at Deceit, who gave him a nod. Virgil then pointed at Devlin and narrowed his eyes.

“Don’t do that again,” he said. “It’s scary.”

Devlin chuckled and put his hands up in surrender. 

“I promise, buddy. I won’t scare you again.”


	82. Parts 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the human au where Remus sells black market organs.  
Also, warning for mentions of self harm and suicide

“And voila!”

The hood was removed from Virgil’s head, and he squinted against the suddenly bright lights. The room he was in looked like your average office, but there were blood stains near everywhere, some old and some new. Virgil had been tied to a metal chair, unable to move much.

“There we go, a nice change of scenery. Now, let’s start with a simple question: What’s your name?” Remus stared down at Virgil, giving a twisted smile.

Virgil pressed his lips together and looked away. He wasn’t going to say a word. If he really was going to die, he wasn’t going to play this monster’s game. Remus frowned and slapped Virgil hard in the face. Virgil jerked with the force of the blow and yelped.

“When I ask you a question, you answer,” said Remus. “Or you’ll get worse than a slap. Let’s try again: What’s your name?”

“V-Virgil,” Virgil tried to keep the fear from his voice, but it was near impossible.

“Virgil!” Remus said brightly. “That’s a name you don’t hear often. I bet your father is a pretentious fuck to name you that.”

He giggled to himself as he toyed with Virgil’s phone. He looked through Virgil’s contacts and raised an eyebrow.

“My men found you in a homeless camp, but you have recent texts here from your Dad,” he said. “Care to explain?”

Virgil stayed silent until Remus raised his hand again.

“I ran away!” Virgil blurted out in a panic. “I ran away from home. I’m... I’m not a homeless orphan...”

“Why did you run?” Remus asked. He pulled up one of Virgil’s sleeves, revealing faded scars. “Was it because of these? Because you’re a little emo?”

He sighed and set Virgil’s phone down.

“Do you want to die, little emo? If I put my gun against your head would you ask me to pull the trigger?”

Virgil swallowed a lump in his throat, trying to keep himself from having another attack. He tried doing his breathing exercises, but they only helped so much.

“No,” he choked out. “No, I don’t want to die. I just... I wanted the pain to stop.”

“Ah,” Remus sounded interested. “An emo who doesn’t want to die. And here I thought you emos loved death and all that bullshit. Well, I’m not interested in keeping a boring little emo. If you don’t want to die, I’ll see what I can get for you as a ransom. See, we only go after the homeless kids. No one cares to look when they go missing. But you have an actual father who will light a fire under the police’s asses, and I don’t need that right now. So... a quick ransom and you’ll be on your way. And of course you’ll keep this business between us. I’d hate to have to gouge those pretty eyes out because you told our secrets...”

Virgil felt a small glimmer of hope within. He was going to go free? Really? No, this must be a trick. No way it could be this simple.

“What’s your father’s name?” Remus asked as he picked up Virgil’s phone again.

“Juke,” Virgil said softly.

Remus froze.

He slowly set the phone down and walked over to Virgil. He leaned down into Virgil’s face, eyes searching for something.

“What’s your father’s last name?” He asked.

“L...Lyesmith,” Virgil said, pressing against the back of the chair.

Remus grinned.

“Does your father happen to have a scar going from here (he tapped the edge of his lips) to here (he tapped a spot just below his ear)?”

Virgil wordlessly nodded. He was confused. How did Remus know-

Remus burst out into loud laughter as he turned and walked back to his desk.

“Oh my! Oh, it’s a small world after all! Oh, I can’t wait...”

He was still giggling as he chose the contact labeled ‘Dad’ on Virgil’s phone. He put the phone to his ear as he listened to it ring.

“Virgil?” A worried voice picked up. “Virgil, are you ok? Please tell me where you are so that I can come get you. I’m worried sick-”

“Hello, Juke,” Remus purred. “Long time no see...”

There was a moment of silence on the phone, followed by the scariest tone of voice Virgil had ever heard his father use.

**“Where is he?”**


	83. Shield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning for implied mature content?   
Deceit and Vixen have a talk...

“When are you going to introduce Thomas to the little ones?” Vixen asked, running a hand down Deceit’s bare chest. He began wiping away smudges of dark lipstick from Deceit’s torso, smiling whenever he saw a dark bruise.

“That’s what you want to talk about?” Deceit stood there, letting Vixen take care of him. “Well, if it were up to me, Thomas will never know them. I’ll keep them safe and hidden down here.”

Vixen began wiping the smudges around his own lips, looking at Deceit in annoyance. Deceit was the ultimate Mama Bear, protective to a damn fault. Sometimes it seemed he was too protective.

“Thomas might love them,” Vixen said, buttoning up Deceit’s long shirt. “I mean, Virgil’s an adorable little thing, I bet Thomas would like him. And Remus may seem a little weird at times, but he’s gotten so much better-”

“Or maybe Thomas will reject them and they’ll die!” Deceit snapped. Vixen narrowed his eyes, and Deceit sighed. “I’m sorry. I just... I can’t take that risk.”

“Juke...” Vixen buttoned the last button and smoothed out Deceit’s shirt. “I know it’s been hard for you ever since Morey and Pan faded. It’s been hard on all of us. Devlin’s outbursts have been getting worse and Tristan’s bad days have been more and more often. But Remus and Virgil have a chance. They’re still young. They deserve a chance at a life that’s better than this. You love them. We all love them. But this environment is not good for them. Not with this... cloud over everyone’s head.”

He pulled his crop top on and then fastened his choker around his neck. Deceit was silent behind him, giving Vixen time to hunt for Deceit’s cape. He vaguely remembered tossing it aside somewhere...

“I know,” Deceit finally sighed. “I know they do. And god knows I wish I could give them that better life. I try so hard to make things good for them. To shield them from these... cruel realities.”

“Some things should not be hidden from children,” said Vixen. “It will only make things more difficult for them in the long run. Death is a part of life. Suffering is a part of life. They saw Pan die even though you tried to hide it. They know that the other Sides are living the life they deserve. Pretending everything is fine when everything isn’t, will not teach them the lessons they need to learn.”

He finally found Deceit’s cape and placed it over his shoulders. He fastened the chain and then smiled. He enjoyed dressing Deceit after they had their fun. Aftercare was important, and Vixen loved it.

“Perhaps you are right,” Deceit said softly, placing his hat on his head. “They already know. It’s no use to pretend. I... I had only hoped they could have remained children a little longer.”

“They’re still your babies,” Vixen pulled on his fur coat. “They’re still my little brothers. Nothing will ever change that. And it’s something neither Thomas nor the other sides can take from you. But it’s time to start preparing them. Thomas is going to start puberty soon. I can feel it. And when he does, it’s going to be chaos.”

Deceit chuckled, nodded slightly. Vixen always knew what to say when Deceit had no idea what to do. He placed a tender kiss on Vixen’s lips and then brushed his lips over the other’s neck.

“Ah, none of that,” Vixen stepped back. “I need to get dinner started. Just... just think about what I said. I know things seem bad now, but just wait. It’ll all work out in the end. I promise.”

“I’ll hold you to that, Vixen.” Deceit smiled again. “I really will...”


	84. Clingy

Logan really had no problem being used as a pillow. Because he liked to read in the comfort of the living room, the other Sides would often lean against him or cuddle up to him while in the peaceful state of slumber. 

It was no different today.

Remus’s body had finally decided to crash after four days of no sleep. Honestly, Logan tried to get him to commit to a sleep schedule, but the Duke was far too set in his ways. He’d come into the living room, looking half dead, and promptly plopped onto the couch. He laid his head on Logan’s lap and curled up, falling asleep quickly.

The room was soon filled with his loud snores. Logan merely chuckled and ran his fingers through Remus’s hair, going back to his book. 

After some time had passed, Logan felt something cold and slimy wrap around his hand. With a gasp, he looked down to see one of Remus’s green tentacles had sprouted and wrapped around his hand. More still sprouted from Remus’s back and wrapped around other parts of Logan.

And that was how Deceit found them when Logan had summoned him.

“I apologize,” Logan said softly, “but I appear to be trapped.”

“Yeah, he does that,” Deceit snorted. “He was much worse when he was younger, but I guess he’s just... very fond of you.”

Logan blushed slightly and cleared his throat, causing Deceit to chuckle.

“It’s near impossible to get those tentacles to let go,” he said. “They’re very strong and too slimy to get a good grip. You’ll just have to wait until he wakes up.”

“But he hasn’t slept in days,” Logan looked concerned. “Who knows how long it will take him to receive the proper rest his body needs?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll wake him up,” Deceit removed his gloves, revealing his sharp black nails and scaly hands. “He loves food more than sleep. I’ll make his favorite and he’ll be up as soon as he smells it. I’ll try to hurry for you.”

Remus mumbled in his sleep and sighed happily as he shifted to a more comfortable position, head still in Logan’s lap. Logan smiled at the sight and went back to carding his fingers through the other’s hair.

“No,” Logan said. “Take all the time you need.”


	85. Duty

“Ok,” Deceit smiled at Virgil. “A little pink bird told me that it was time we helped you figure out your duties. As Thomas’s anxiety, what is your job?”

Virgil fidgeted in his spot, looking nervous. He wasn’t a child anymore, but he wasn’t an adult either. Like Thomas, he had begun his decent into puberty.

And Vixen’s predictions of chaos had been very spot on.

“Um... I make Thomas scared of stuff,” Virgil said.

“Not quite,” said Deceit. “Your job is to make sure Thomas is aware of things that can go wrong. That will help him prepare for them.”

“But yesterday I made him scared of riding with his parents because it was raining and I said the car might crash,” said Virgil.

“Which is a valid point,” said Deceit. “Your job may seem bad, but it’s very important. We just need to help you see that.”

Virgil still seemed skeptical, and Deceit stifled a sigh. He could understand Virgil’s plight. Causing someone anxiety didn’t make him any friends with Patton and his family. Hell, it hadn’t been all that long since Virgil’s appearance that Patton was handing the child over to Deceit.

Of course, Deceit and the others had loved Virgil to death, happy to have another addition to their family. They’d all become very protective of him.

“Let me give you an example,” said Deceit. “Let’s say that Thomas decides to go bike riding one day. He gets on his bike, he pedals off, and everything’s going great. But then he stops minding his surroundings and crashes his bike hard, striking his head on the ground and cracking it open like an egg!”

Virgil gasped in horror, looking like he might start crying. 

“Wh-what?! But why?! Why wasn’t he wearing a helmet?!” He shouted.

“Exactly,” Deceit pointed at Virgil and smiled. “Exactly! That’s what would have happened without you. But with you as his anxiety, you remind him to wear his helmet in case he falls. And you remind him to watch where he’s going because the roads can be dangerous. And with you there to help... if he does take a tumble, he won’t be hurt as badly. So you see... anxiety can be good at times. It’s only in excess that it can be bad, but that’s the same with everything. Being too angry can be bad, lying too much can be bad. Heck, even being too moral can be bad.”

Virgil’s eyes widened and he slowly smiled. He’d heard what the other sides above had said about him, and he’d hated his role. But listening to Deceit, he realized that he could be just as important as anyone else. True, he still had his doubts, but at least now he could see his usefulness.

“I know it’s hard,” said Deceit. “It’s hard for all of us, but everyone of us serve an important role. Not just the Sides that live above us, but all of us. We’re all here for Thomas.”

Virgil nodded, looking better. He’d show the others how important he was. He’d make them regret tossing him aside...


	86. Debut

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus gets ready for his big debut...

Remus tucked his hand under his chin as he regarded the clothes on the mannequin before him. He was clad only in his black boxers and surrounded by fabrics of all colors. 

He’d tended to wear whatever he pleased so far, never choosing one particular color or style. Though his preferences had leaned more towards pink or yellow these days. He liked green, but he didn’t wear much of it. Green was a complimentary color to red, and red was his brother.

He didn’t want to just be Roman’s twin. He wanted to be Remus.

“Ugh...” Remus sighed. “Vixie... why couldn’t you be here? You’d know what to do.” He waved his hand, and the clothes on the mannequin vanished. He had learned well from Vixen, but he had no real eye for fashion. At least not in the same way he wanted to right now.

He was about to make his debut, show himself to Thomas. Deceit had encouraged him to do so in a desperate bid to be accepted. Remus wasn’t about to fool himself that they would accept him. After all, they hadn’t accepted Deceit, and Deceit was a better man that Remus was.

Or so Remus thought.

“Yellow is Mama’s color,” Remus muttered, biting at his nails. “Pink is Vixie’s. Orange belongs to Devlin. Silver and white...” he shook his head. He couldn’t bring himself to take the colors of his deceased brothers.

“Every color but green is taken,” he sighed and waved his hand again. Dark green fabric draped over the mannequin. “Ugh, not too much. Just enough to establish dominance.” He nodded as if what he had just said made any sense.

It did! Kinda...

“Black is so much better,” Remus summoned more fabric. “It’ll really show how different we are. I’m not all unicorn horns and dragon tails. Hardly that dull...” He walked around the mannequin, manipulating the fabric and causing it to bunch up at the shoulders. A green sash stretched over the chest, tucked into the belt. Green snaked through the threads of black, trimming the sleeves and collar, painting stripes across the chest under the sash.

Remus slowly smiled as the outit took form. He added a few macabre twists here and there and then stood back as it completed. Yes, this was an outfit fit for a duke. This was the perfect thing to wear to make a good impression.

“Yes!” Remus spread his arms. “Yes!” The outfit vanished and slithered over Remus, clothing him. He ran his hands over the fabrics and smiled. He was nearly finished. Just one... last...thing...

Vixen’s makeup had been lost to his imprisonment, but Remus still had a little that Vixen had given him years ago. The eye shadow palette had been damaged, colors broken into dust and powder, but a few dark shades were still useable. Remus took up a brush and looked in the mirror.

It was nearly time for the curtain to rise...


	87. Plague

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All these chapters and no sick fic? Gotta fix that...

Remus learned early on that it was very hard for him to get sick.

It was a fact he lorded over the other sides and took great pride in. Granted, he was often the one who helped out when a side fell ill, since there was no worry he’d catch whatever bug they had.

This time, two sides had the bug: Vixen and Devlin. And it had affected them hard. Both were unable to get out of bed, relying on Remus for their care. Remus happily took the job of doctor for the two, stocking a cart with medicine, water, ice, soup, and other things that may be needed.

Now, most children would dress in a typical costume when playing doctor: white coat, stethoscope, head mirror, maybe some scrubs.

But not Remus.

Remus had dressed himself in a full plague doctor’s outfit, hat and bird mask included. He also made sure to make his cart creak as he pushed it down the hallway, ready to see his patients again. 

The first room he visited was Devlin’s. The door was beaten up from all the times Devlin had angrily slammed it in the past, but it opened easily for Remus. The inside was dimly lit by a lamp, and it was a mess. But Devlin was known for being a bit messy. Not as bad as Remus, but still messy.

Remus solemnly approached the bed, watching the lump under the blankets move sluggishly. 

“The patient is near death. We have all known this,” he said. “He has shown no signs of improving and we are all waiting for his final breath...”

A hand appeared from under the blankets, and it promptly flipped Remus off.

“The patient has forgotten ninety percent of the words in the English language and has begun to rely on crude hand gestures to communicate. I suspect his fingers will begin to rot away soon,” Remus continued. “The patient is at death’s door... but if he wishes to cling to life for a little longer, he may consume... soup.”

Remus held up the steaming bowl in offering. The lump shifted and finally sat up. Devlin looked probably as sick as he felt, dark bags under his eyes, his hair was a mess, and he sniffled in a strained way.

“Is that tomato soup?” He asked, sounding stuffed up.

“Indeed,” Remus said. “Accompianed by slices of toasted bread. It should help you feel better until you can take your next dose of medicine.”

Devlin sniffled again, and then broke out into a set of harsh coughs. He groaned, sounding miserable, but he managed a smile at Remus.

“Thanks for taking care of us,” he said, taking the soup and toast. “You’re such a great little brother.”

“Kind words,” said Remus. “It is good to try to placate the demons that will surely carry you off soon. Our Great Mother says he will be by to check on you soon enough.”

“Yeah yeah,” Devlin chuckled, blowing on the spoonful of soup. “Death and demons and despair and all that. Well, don’t let me keep you. I’m sure you have other patients to see.”

“I do,” Remus took his cart and began to wheel it out. “Farewell, I shall pray for your health...”

Vixen’s door was a bit different. Pink and white candy stripes decorated it, along with a sign that said ‘Both Beauty and Beast’. Remus opened it and looked around. Vixen’s bedroom was the cleanest one any Side had. Tastefully decirated and not a single makeup brush out of place. The bed was a canopy with sheer pink curtains, and yet another lump was half hidden under the fuzzy blankets.

Remus approached the bed, seeing that Vixen was asleep and snoring slightly through his own stuffed nose. Remus poked Vixen carefully with his medical cane, trying to wake him.

“Patient is unresponsive,” said Remus. “Perhaps the sickness is worse than we thought- HEY!”

Vixen had grabbed Remus and then rolled over, tucking the child within his arms and knocking off Remus's hat and mask.

“Vixie!” Remus squirmed. “Vixie, I have to give you your soup.”

“I’ll eat it later,” Vixen grinned. “I need a dose of cuddles right now. You’re my doctor, give me cuddles.”

Remus groaned in frustration, folding his arms as Vixen pulled him even closer. He did enjoy Vixen’s cuddles, the pink side always seeming to know exactly what kind of cuddles were needed. And if it was for the betterment of Vixen’s health, then he could share a nap with the other.

“Fine,” he said. “I will share body warmth for the good of the patient.”

Vixen chuckled and kissed Remus on the top of his head. 

“Thanks, Remus. You’re awesome.”


	88. Tired

Deceit walked in on a rather... strange situation.

Remus was running around the living room, jumping and slapping at something. Remy was watching tv on the couch, starbucks in one hand and something else in the other.

Deceit walked over for a closer look and noticed the other object was a laer pointer.

“What are you doing?” Deceit asked.

“What’s it look like I’m doing?” Remy took a long sip of coffee. “I’m tiring out your brat so that he’ll sleep tonight.”

“Do not call my son a brat,” Deceit frowned.

“You look me in the eye and tell me he’s not a brat,” Remy looked at Deceit with a raised eyebrow, but Deceit said nothing. “That’s what I thought.”

“Ugh! Almost got it!” Little Remus looked around and chased after the little red dot.

“That’s the one good thing about kids,” said Remy. “Easy to distract him.”

“I doubt this will work,” Deceit sat down next to Remy. “He has more energy than any Side Thomas has. Why can’t you just let him figure things out himself? I just let him go to bed whenever he wants.”

“That’s the problem,” Remy waved the laser pointer around. “He needs a schedule. He needs to learn how to sleep at a certain time and stay asleep for the night. He’s making my job hard. Not even his brother gives me this much crap.”

“Remus is not his brother,” Deceit snapped. Remy sighed.

“I’m sorry, I know he’s not,” he said. “He’s just... frustrating.”

“The sooner you accept that Remus doesn’t get tired like the rest of us, the happier you’ll be,” said Deceit. “Just let him do his own thing.”

Remy opened his mouth to respond, but closed it when Remus walked up to the couch. In his hand was a glowing red orb, and he was smiling widely. Deceit and Remy’s jaws dropped when they realized that Remus had actually caught the little red dot.

“Where is your god now?” Remus asked, smile growing even wider.


	89. December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going back to the single dad Au! Btw, I actually have the daschund in this chapter.

“Ok. Plug this in here, and then... there!”

Juke flipped a switch in the garage and the front of the house lit up with mulitcolored lights. A few decorations also lit up on the lawn, and another one inflated into a daschund that was wearing a Christmas sweater and santa hat.

“Yay, it’s done!” Little Remus cheered and ran around the lawn, looking at the lights and decorations. He’d been inside watching Christmas movies and drinking cocoa with Virgil while Juke decorated. 

Speaking of...

“Max!” Little Virgil ran over to the inflatable daschund and hugged it around the neck. “Daddy, look! Is Max!”

“Of course it is, it’s December,” Juke chuckled. “It’s time for Max to take his spot out here like he does every year.”

“Every year,” Virgil repeated, brushing some snow from Max’s back with his small hands.

“It looks great, Dad,” Remus beamed. “All cozy like those movies on tv.”

“Not like the movies I say that you can’t watch, right?” Juke raised an eyebrow.

“Of course not!” Remus said far too quickly. He then looked away and pretended to be interested in the icicle lights.

“Virgil, we need to go back in,” Juke called out to his youngest. “We’re gonna decorate some cookies.”

“Cookies?!” Virgil said excitedly. He hugged Max again. “Bye Max, I see you later!” 

He then ran back to the porch, nearly waddling in the thick winter clothes he was wearing. Juke picked him up and the family went inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like this story, please comment. Also, if anyone wants to make fanart or share the links for this fic, you are all welcome to do so. I also have a tumblr blog that you can come hang out on at beautiful-doom.tumblr.com


	90. Help

“I need my makeup done,” Thomas said, hopelessly looking at the makeup he’d purchased. He organized the pile, reading the labels as he did so. “It’s for a show.”

“What kind of makeup?” Roman rose up next to him. “I know how to do stage makeup.”

“Not that kind,” Thomas sighed. “I need some glam.”

“Glam?” Vixen rose up on Thomas’s other side, cocking his out and resting his hand on it. “I can do glam.” He gestured to his own artfully painted face. 

“Yeah, but even if you tell me what to do, it won’t work,” said Thomas. “I don’t have the skills.”

“True...” Vixen took a moment to think, eyes slowly sliding to look at Roman.

“What are you looking at?” Roman frowned. Vixen clapped his hands as he had a thought.

“I’ve got it! But there’s someone else I need,” Vixen blew a kiss, summoning another side.

It was Logan who answered his call, blushing slightly at Vixen’s summoning method.

“You two control Thomas’s hands and arms,” Vixen said, pointing at the two sides. “I just need to move your arms, and that will move Thomas’s arms. And it’ll be as if I’m doing his makeup for him!”

“That’s... actually quite clever,” Logan mused, adjusting his glasses. “I think it might work.”

“Fine,” Roman pouted. “But just this once. Last time you touched me, I smelled like your perfume for a week.”

“Get tough, Princey,” Vixen beckoned. “Now stay still and let me do the work. I’ll have Thomas looking glamorous in no time.”

And so he began his task.

It was awkward at first, but Vixen slowly managed to fall into his zone and the other sides got used to letting him do what was needed with their hands. Logan actually admired the preciseness Vixen had and the attention to detail. And Roman had to admit the other side had a talent for being creative in terms of blushes and eyeshadows. 

It took time, but after a good while, Vixen was finally setting the brushes down and examining Thomas for any faults. 

“There,” he smiled. “You’re done, Thomas.”

Thomas looked in the mirror, and his face lit up. Vixen had highlighted his cheeks, contoured his face, painted his lips, and his eyeshadow was perfect. He chuckled and clapped his hands together excitedly.

“Wow! I look amazing! Thanks so much, Vixen!” He giddly said.

“Think nothing of it, Thomas,” Vixen basked in the praise. “Always happy to help. Good luck with your show.” He sunk out, and the other two followed not long afterward.

“Ok,” Roman sighed. “I have to admit... you did a good job. I mean, I certainly can’t do something like that.”

“And that, dear Roman, is why you’re just a prince... and not a queen.” Vixen tossed his hair and strutted away, heels clicking on the floor.

“What?” Roman squawked, sounding offended.

Logan flipped through his vocab cards until he found the right one.

“Burn!” He said, holding the card up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I made a post about how Vixen looks on my blog. You can see it here: https://beautiful-doom.tumblr.com/post/189875696916/through-the-powers-of-filters-i-give-you-vixen
> 
> Also, the amazing Imyasart did some fanart of Vixen. You can see that here: https://imyasart.tumblr.com/post/189797204639/i-have-been-thoroughly-enjoying-beautiful-doom


	91. Cocoon

Tristan sighed as he sat on the floor in front of the tv. Part of him wanted to at least move to the couch, but the other parts of him said he had no energy to do so and what was the point? He’d still be feeling like shit on the couch...

It was another bad day. Tristan seemed to be having a lot of those lately. He didn’t mean to have bad days. He was Thomas’s sorrow, and sometimes he would feel sadder than usual. He really should do something about that before the other sides saw him as the burden he was and got rid of him-

“Bad day?”

Tristan slowly looked up, reflexes long since dulled, and saw little Remus. The child looked concerned, something that always gave a little warmth to Tristan’s heart. The child was so precious... once you got past his disturbing thoughts.

“Yeah...” Tristan sighed, sounding like he just wanted to sleep for a thousand years. He had tried to before, but one of the other sides was always there to get him out of his dark room and make him eat or bathe or drink some water or join them for a movie.

He really didn’t deserve the other sides...

Remus didn’t say anything, but Tristan realized, once again very slowly, that Remus had moved away from him and was now holding a blanket out.

“What are you doing?” Tristan asked.

“Just getting a running start,” Remus replied.

That was all the warning Tristan got before Remus suddenly ran forward and tackled him to the floor. The blanket was securely laid over him, and Remus smiled at his work.

“There,” he said. “You are now trapped in my cocoon of love. This cocoon will help you feel better.”

Tristan glanced to the sides, wriggling a bit under Remus’s weight. It wasn’t so bad. Kind of reminded him of his weighted blanket. Much warmer, anyway.

Remus then moved and wrapped Tristan completely in the blanket, helping him sit up to watch the tv with him. They both watched in silence for a while until...

“Thanks Remus,” Tristan said softly. “It really does help me feel a little better. I’m sorry I’m like this so much...”

“You are who you are,” said Remus. “And we all love you anyway. That’s not gonna change, Tristy...”

Tristan sniffled softly, trying and failing to keep the tears from falling.


	92. Cures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to build up Tristan's chracter a bit before his dramatic reveal in my other story...

There was a knock on the door.

“Tristan?” Deceit’s voice could be heard on the other side. “Tristan, you’ve been in your room all morning. I’m coming in to check on you.”

The door opened, letting a little light spill into the dark room. There was a lamp on the dresser that shone pale blue light, but the rest of the room was dim and dark. Deceit left the door open a bit to let some light in as he made his way through the cluttered room to the bed.

There was a lump under the many blankets and pillows, curled up into a ball. Deceit sighed as he sat down beside it on the bed. His hand reached out and slowly rubbed the lump’s back.

“Bad day?” Deceit asked. He knew the answer, but he still asked. Tristan always shut himself away when he was having a bad day. “Why don’t you come sit out in the imagination with us? Remus made it nice and sunny today.”

There was no response.

“Tristan... I understand you don’t have any energy to do much, but if you want to lie in and rest, why not do it outside? Fresh air, sunshine-”

“You know this isn’t going to magically cure me, right?” Tristan’s tone had a slight bite to it. The blankets rustled until Tristan uncurled and pushed himself up against the pillows.

“All this effort,” Tristan said, eyes puffy from lack of sleep and crying. “You know I’m not going to suddenly be all better one day, right?”

Ah... today was a _very_ bad day.

Deceit gave a small smile and gathered Tristan into a hug. Tristan leaned against him, wrapping his arms tightly around Deceit and seeking comfort.

“My little April shower...” Deceit said softly. “I know it won’t magically cure you. I know that your duty makes you feel a certain way, and its not a good way. I wish I could take it from you and give you a better one. One that will let you smile more often. One that will make you happier. But I can’t.

I know the things I do are not cures, but I don’t mean them to be. I just want to help you feel a bit better on these days. And sleeping the day away in a cold dark room will help nothing. Come outside, even if for a little bit. I’ll make you a little nest to nap in. Maybe I’ll even bring some snacks. And some lemonade.”

Tristan paused at that. He really did like lemonade, and Deceit made amazing strawberry lemonade from scratch.

“Maybe for a little bit,” he finally said. “Will you bring some cookies too?”

“Of course,” said Deceit. “Whatever you want.”

Tristan knew that what Deceit had said was true. These weren’t cures... hell, nothing was a cure. It was just how Tristan’s life was for now, and he’d have to deal with it.

But... maybe these little efforts did make it a bit easier to get through the day. Maybe there was something to be said about sunshine and family and lemonade and cookies.

Maybe things would be ok. Maybe there was a slight bit of hope that the future wouldn’t always be this dark and dreary...


	93. Windows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More sad boi...

It was a silly thing.

But then sometimes Tristan wondered if it wasn’t.

A window.

That was all Tristan wanted for his room in the mindscape. The only problem was that none of the dark sides were powerful enough to remodel. They could conjure things, sure... but they could not change their housing.

Deceit had gifted Tristan with a lamp that was supposed to simulate sunlight and warmth, but it could only do so much. Even with its light shining in his room, Tristan had a tendency to trace his fingers over the blank walls.

Walls that often felt like a cage.

All Tristan wanted for his room was a window. Something for him to look through and see... well, anything. A beach, a forest, a desert, a snowy glen, anything. He’d settle for anything to help make his room feel less stifling. Something to make his world seem bigger, less like a cage. Something to let in the warm sunlight or let him watch the rain drip down the glass. His room was his sanctuary, but it could feel constricting at times too. Too dark. Too quiet. Too much.

Tristan traced the wall with his fingers again, casting shadows across it. The shadows were his friends sometimes. But now they felt cold and empty. The wall felt cold and bare. He’d gotten rid of the mirror that used to hang, not liking what he saw in the reflection. 

Now he needed something else to cover his wall. Art? Posters? Vixen had suggested a wall planter. Devlin had suggested making a shadow box. But Tristan had no energy for conjuring anything. 

He supposed the wall would stay bare for now.

But he really hoped that one day... he could get a window.


	94. PTA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Since you guys ship Logan with Vixen, I thought I'd give you guys another Human Au. In this one, Logan is Remus's school teacher, and Vixen is raising Remus and Virgil himself.

“Hi. I’m Vixen, Remus’s older brother.”

That was all Logan heard before his brain promptly blue screened. 

Little Remus was a gifted child, but he was a bit rough around the edges, and that was what prompted the parent teacher conference he’d called. He knew Remus’s parents had died in a bad car accident, and that he was being raised by his older brother, but Logan had expected someone... more like Remus.

Someone a bit rough and dirty and eccentric.

He was not expecting someone who looked like he should modeling on a runway.

Vixen was tall and slender, built with curves and smooth lines. His hair was nicely brushed, and he wore a pair of black skinny jeans with a stylish pink shirt that had a smiling cat on it. But what really caught Logan’s eye was Vixen’s makeup: not too heavy, but just enough to accent the color and shape of his eyes and contour his face.

“Mr. Sanders?” Vixen prompted, hand still held out to shake Logan’s. “Is something wrong?”

Logan shook his head slightly and shook Vixen’s (very soft) hand. Even Vixen’s nails were painted a pale yellow.

“No problem. Forgive me, my mind wandered a bit. Anyway, I’m glad you could make it. I just wanted to speak to you about Remus’s recent behavior.”

Vixen nodded as he sat down in front of Logan’s desk, crossing his legs. His shoes were actually heeled boots. Skinny heels too. Logan tried to remember what those were called.

Stiletto? 

“I understand that Remus can be a bit... much,” said Vixen. “He’s always been like that. I try hard to keep him from going too far, but I also encourage his creativity. Has he been drawing headless people again?”

“No,” Logan could not stop his eyes as they wandered from Vixen’s toe to his knee to his chest and then settled on his lips. “No, he did at first, but I asked him to stop. Lately he’s been singing some... rather crude songs of an innapropriate nature, and the school has a very strict policy on the matter. I enjoy having Remus in my class very much, but I don’t want to see him called before the principal.”

“I see,” Vixen uncrossed his legs and leaned forward to rest his elbows on Logan’s desk. “Well, what can I do to help?”

This time, Logan managed to keep focused, but not before discovering the freckles that dotted Vixen’s collarbones...


	95. PTA 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love this new au. In other news, Logan is a gay disaster.

“Logan, you’re home!” Patton beamed as Logan walked through the door. His expression quickly changed to a frown when he saw how Logan looked.

He looked... very distressed.

His hair looked like he’d been gripping it and running his fingers through it, his eyes were wide behind his glasses, and when he set his leather bag on the table, it missed and hit the floor.

“Logan, are you ok?” Patton asked.

Logan flinced and then looked at Patton as if he’d just realized that he was there. He looked around before pressing his back against the wall, hunching his shoulders.

“I... I don’t know,” he finally said.

“What’s wrong?” Patton looked worried. “What happened?”

Logan blinked a few times.

“An... an angel came into my class today,” he finally said. “HIs wings were pink like roses young, I tasted perfume on my tongue... while heavenly hymns were hummed and sung. And then he was gone.”

Patton briefly considered grabbing his keys and taking Logan to the hospital. Poetry? That was more Roman’s thing.

“Logan, you’re scaring me,” Patton put his hands on Logan’s shoulders. “What happened. Speak plainly.”

Logan took a deep breath and shook his head as if trying to remove a trance.

“I... I called a conference with Remus’s guardian,” he finally said. “That was today.”

“Oh, Remus?” Patton asked. “You told me about him. The little boy who draws zombies?”

“I... I wasn’t expecting his guardian to be so... so...” Logan struggled with his words.

“So... what?” Patton prompted.

“ATTRACTIVE!” Logan shrieked. Patton flinched back, Logan’s words slowly registering in his mind.

“Logan...” Patton slowly smiled. “Do you... have a crush on someone?”

Logan shook his head. Then he nodded. Then he shook his head again.

“I don’t know!” He shouted. “Is this what it feels like? I’ve had figurative butterflies in my stomach since I saw him, and my heart has been suffering from palpatations. And then there’s the intense feeling of euphoria, and everything just seems... brighter somehow.”

“Definitely a crush,” Patton nodded. “So, you have a crush on Remus’s guardian. Why so... scared?”

“I don’t know what to do, Patton,” Logan said. “Do I fight it? Do I ignore it? Do I try to follow it? I’ve never had one before, Patton! I haven’t dated since high school, and those turned out horrible!”

“Well, those were blind dates that Roman set you up with,” said Patton. “I don’t think they really count.”

Logan gave a dismayed look.

“That’s even worse. That means I have zero experience! There must be a book I can read,” Logan stood up and began tapping at his phone. “Maybe an article. I have to do research! I have to find out what to do about this! The feelings won’t go away!” He ran into his room, and the door closed noisily behind him.

Patton sighed. No doubt Logan was booting up his computer, and he wouldn’t be seen again until dinner. Patton pulled out his own phone and sent a text to Roman.

_Code Rose! Logan’s finally got his first crush. We need to have a chat with him._


	96. Tentacles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've been wanting to write Meroctopus!Remus for a while, but I could never settle on the plot. I think this is a good one to use.

Logan should have known better than to go exploring in the caves by the sea. The others had warned him, but he had ignored them all.

And now he was about to die.

“A human...” the thing hissed. “Not enough to be swimming in my waters, now you invade my home?”

The thing... Logan was unsure of what to call it... looked like someone had glued the top half of a human to a mass of tentacles. The human part was pale and had dark hair and bright green eyes. The tentacles were black and had glowing green circles.

_Bioluminescence_, Logan’s mind supplied.

“Well, let’s see what you have to offer...” The thing ripped Logan’s shirt off and began poking him.

“What are you doing?” Logan asked, struggling to get free. The tentacles held on tightly, and his human grip was just as strong. The thing hissed and frowned.

“You barely have any meat on you. You won’t even make a decent snack when I’ve stripped your bones. Well, I can’t be picky these days. Sorry it had to be you, but... I have to eat.”

Logan cried out when Remus opened his mouth wide, revealing rows of jagged teeth. This thing was going to eat him! Dammit, he didn’t want to die like this.

“I-I can get you food!” He shouted, hands shooting out to brace against pale shoulders, trying to stop his moving towards the open mouth.

The thing paused and then looked at Logan skeptically.

“Oh? And how you do propose to do that? There is no food here! You humans polluted my waters and caught all my prey. You think I’m attacking their boats because it’s fun? It’s because I’m starving!”

Logan flinched as loud voice echoed around the cave. At least he was still alive. He could just feed this thing once and then never come back, right? He’d just have to move far away and never go to the beach again.

It could work...

“We have markets,” said Logan. “That’s where the fish are going. We sell them. I can get you some from there and come back.”

The thing laughed mockingly.

“Is that so? I’m not some minnow. I need a lot of food to satisfy my hunger. I doubt you could get enough for me.”

“I can try?” Logan said. “Just give me a chance! I’ll bring back enough food for you. What have you got to lose?”

The thing hissed again, eyes narrowing at Logan. Logan was praying that the ruse would work. Sure he’d have to spend a lot of money, but it would be worth it for his life.

“Fish, crabs, squid, snails... all the little critters of the deep,” The thing smiled. “And I wouldn’t say no to some shark. Come back at sunset with my food. If it’s not enough, I’ll eat you too. And if you try to run, I’ll start snatching humans from the beach, and it’ll be all your fault!”

The black tentacles put Logan down. He shook with fear, nearly falling into the shallow water.

“Just call my name when you get here,” said the thing. “Remus. I’ll hear you. Now leave! You have a lot of work to do...”

Logan didn’t need to be told twice, he rushed through the cave, to the exit hearing Remus’s laughter behind him.


	97. Couple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This idea would not leave me alone, so I had to share it. For all you Loxen shippers.

“What’s this?” 

Logan had just handed Vixen his old blue tie. The pink side looked at it curiously, brows knit in confusion.

“I... well, I discovered a common custom where couples sometimes wear each other’s clothes. I unfortuntely don’t have much to spare, but I thought you might like to wear this old tie of mine. If you want... you don’t have to. I know it’s not your style.”

He was blushing, which made Vixen chuckle. He cooed at Logan, holding the tie to his heart.

“Awe, that’s so sweet! Thank you, I’d love to wear this! Don’t worry, I’ll make it my style.” He threw the tie around his neck, but suddenly paused.

Logan feared that Vixen was having second thoughts, but then the other smiled sheepishly.

“Um... you’ll have to teach me how to tie it,” he said. Logan couldn’t help but chuckle as he took the ends into his hands.

True to his word, Vixen wore the tie nearly every day, and in various ways. Sometimes he wore it as a headband, as a bracelet, as a scarf, and other days he wore it as a proper tie. Once he even wore a spare pare of Logan’s glasses and seductively asked him if he was looking for a book to read.

Logan had turned redder than Roman’s sash at that.

After a few weeks, Vixen came to Logan with something for him to wear.

“Ta da!” He sang, holding up a jacket. “I don’t have much you’d like to wear, but I did remember this old thing. It’s my original jacket. Before I upgraded to the fur. Maybe you’d like to wear it?”

The jacket was dark pink denim, bedazzled with various plastic stones, and had Vixen’s name spelled out on the back. It didn’t look bad, but the style was certainly louder than Logan’s usual fare.

“I mean, you don’t have to,” Vixen said uncertainly. “I know you prefer more muted colors-”

Logan wordlessly took the jacket and put it on. It was a bit tight in the shoulders, but otherwise it fit well enough.

“Thanks,” he smiled. “Come watch this documentary with me. It’s about bees.”

Vixen smiled and plopped down on the couch, curling up against Logan and sighing contentedly.

And if Thomas thought the jacket was a bit strange the next time Logan popped up... well, he kept that to himself. Logan looked very happy wearing it, after all.


	98. Crying

Thomas was feeling sad.

He couldn’t really pinpoint where it started. It was a series of events that caused it, and it had just grown worse and worse until he was numbly walking into his home. He silenced his phone, not really feeling like answering any calls or texts, and then he all but collapsed on the couch. 

Maybe some tv would help him feel better. There was always The Office...

“Hey.”

Thomas looked over to see Tristan standing by the couch, looking as if he didn’t want to be there. Thomas couldn’t really blame him. He didn’t feel like being there either.

“I... y-you called me,” Tristan said softly, looking anywhere but at Thomas. “Because you’re sad. Did... do you want me to call Patton?”

Thomas actually felt bad for the Side. He must feel this way a lot. Thomas really should hug him more. He was going to make that a thing. Wake up, brush his teeth, get dressed, hug Tristan.

Every day.

“No,” Thomas shook his head. “I don’t really feel like talking to him now. I just kind of want to stay here and ride it out.”

“Oh... ok,” Tristan said. “Um... do you wanna cry for a bit?”

Thomas tilted his head, weighing his options. Crying would probably help him feel better in the long run.

“Yeah,” he finally said.

Tristan blinked in surprise. He slowly shuffled over and sat next to Thomas on the couch.

“Ok... um...” he put his hands in his lap and began to sniffle. “Get ready... and...” He sniffled again as tears began to well up in his eyes. Thomas felt tears in his own eyes, and let them fall. 

After a few minutes of crying, Thomas latched onto Tristan, pulling him into a hug. Tristan seemed surprised at what was happening, but he made no move to stop it. Instead, he continued to cry with Thomas, letting the other decide when enough was enough.

And when Thomas eventually fell asleep like that, Tristan took care to wipe Thomas’s face clean. Salt is really irritating when it dries on your skin.

Tristan knew that very well...


	99. Angry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You've heard of Sad Boi, now get ready for... Angry Boi! I'm gonna do a few drabbles with Devlin before his reveal in Goody Two Shoes.

“What do you do when you get angry?”

“I break things,” Devlin smiled. Deceit looked around the room, noticing the holes in the walls and the broken items on the floor. 

“I can see that,” he said. “But we need to find you something to do that doesn’t invlve you breaking things.”

“But it helps me feel better,” Devlin said, looking confused.

“But it’s bad to break things,” Deceit said.

“But it helps me feel better.”

“But it’s bad to break things.”

“... But it helps me-”

“New plan!” Deceit said loudly, cutting off Devlin’s sentence. “Let’s try something else when you get angry.”

“Are you saying it’s bad to be angry?” Devlin narrowed his eyes.

“No,” Deceit reassured him. “It’s not bad to be angry. It’s just bad when your anger makes you break things.”

“Why?” Devlin wasn’t backing down.

“What if you hurt someone?” Deceit asked. “Like Vixen or Tristan or... maybe even little Remus?”

“What?!” Devlin flinched back. “I would never! I love my brothers.”

“But sometimes anger can make you hurt the people you love,” Deceit pointed out. “So we’re gonna try a few things and see what works best for you. No more breaking things when you get angry, ok?”

Devlin huffed, folding his arms and pouting like a child. 

“Fine,” he said. “We’ll try other things. But only because I don’t wanna hurt you guys.”

“And that’s a very good reason,” Deceit pulled out a list. “Let’s start with exercising...”


	100. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I put this here even though it belongs to Goody Two Shoes because I didn't want to make a full chapter, I just wanted to write this one scene out. But this is set right after the other sides were locked away.

Vixen gasped as he was deposited into an unknown world. It looked like some kind of dark wasteland, but Remus had assured him it was the subconscious.

“Vixen!”

Vixen whirled around, sighing in relief when he saw his brothers. Tristan was shaking and crying while Devlin had him in a loose hold. Vixen walked over and pulled Devlin into a hug. Devlin was a full head taller than Vixen, and he held the other side tightly.

“Vixen, what the hell is going on?” Devlin asked when they broke apart. “I couldn’t leave my room, and then Remus showed up, but he was talking so fast...”

Tristan heaved another sob, and Devlin pulled him back to his side.

“I...” Vixen’s hands would not stop shaking. “Remus explained as much as he could. Apparently, Patton locked us away.”

“He **WHAT?!**” Devlin roared, eyes blazing a bright orange. **“That fuck! I’m going to murder him when I get my hands on him!”**

He paused in his rage when he saw Vixen’s hands. The fingers were bleeding, nails broken and skin torn, and there were bruises blossoming. He took Vixen’s hand in his own and growled.

“Vixen, what happened?”

“I...”

_Beautifully manicured nails scratched and clawed at the door as if that would force it to open. Fists pounded on the wood while a voice screamed itself raw in fear and terror, pleading for help-_

“I panicked...”

Vixen snatched his hand away and hid them both in the fur of his coat.

“This is all my fault,” Tristan brokenly whispered. “If... I wasn’t such a burden... If I didn’t make Thomas so sad...” He wiped at his eyes with the sleeve of his grey sweater. Vixen and Devlin quickly moved closer.

“Sweetiekins, it’s not your fault.”

“It’s not, Tristan,” Devlin reassured him. “It’s Patton’s fault. He did this to us, not you. Because he’s too high on the smell of his own farts to realize that we’re needed just as much as him and the other assholes-”

“Devlin,” Vixen said firmly. “Stop. You’re upsetting him. Let’s all just... try to calm down. Remus said he was going to speak to Juke about how to get us out of here. He’s worried that Patton will just lock us away again if he brings us out of here. Ok?” He rubbed Tristan’s back. “We’re gonna be fine, Tristan. Just wait and see. Remus will be back and then we’ll go home and it’ll be business as usual.”

Tristan sniffled and looked up at Vixen with teary eyes.

“Really? You promise?”

“I promise,” Vixen smiled. “Everything will be ok.”

“And when we get back,” Devlin’s tone was deadly calm. “I’m going to murder that fucking Patton.”

Vixen shushed him again and pulled Tristan close. Everything would be ok...


	101. Clothing

“No! Nononononononono!”

Deceit raised an eyebrow as he watched Remus run by in what was a nice looking black suit. He was furiously tugging at it and screeching at the top of his lungs.

“It burns! It burns!”

“Remus, you get back here at once!” Morey growled as he appeared from the hallway. But Remus was already gone. Morey sighed and glanced at Deceit.

“Dare I ask what that was all about?” Deceit sounded amused.

“For the love of Gucci! I can’t be the only one in this family who cares about how they dress or look,” Morey said.

“Speak for yourself,” Deceit shook his head. “I happen to look very fabulous.”

Morey ran a critical eye over Deceit’s outfit. Deceit was wearing a yellow dress shirt under a black vest and pair of black pants. Both vest and pants had yellow pinstripes.

“Yeah because pinstripes are totally in style these days,” Morey said sarcastically. “But everyone else here looks awful! Vixen wears that pink monstrosity, Tristan’s clothes have holes in them, Pan wears enough jewelry to look tacky, and Devlin wears that awful shade of orange. But Remus just seems to wear whatever he first sees in his closet.”

“Regardless,” Deceit rolled his eyes. “the day you get Remus to willingly wear a suit is the day the world ends. Just let him wear what he pleases. It’s good to let your children explore and find their own personal style.”

“I’m free!”

Both sides looked over in time to see Remus go running past them, naked as a jaybird. 

“FREEEEEEE!” He yelled again, disappearing down the hallway.

“Well,” Morey finally said after a minute. “he’s definitely exploring something.”


	102. Disney

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Virgil's not the only one who's reading between Disney's lines. Btw, Vixen's opinions do not reflect my own, he's just trolling Roman. WARNING FOR MATURE TOPICS.

“Ah, the pink succubus!” Roman drew his sword. Vixen rolled his eyes and took a bite of his taco.

“Honestly, that shit’s getting old. Can’t I just eat my lunch and watch a movie in peace?” He picked up the remote and began cycling through the movies on the tv screen.

“Oh, watching a Disney movie?” Roman put his sword away and walked closer to the couch. “I’m something of a Disney afficionado myself.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard,” Vixen deadpanned. He hmmed over a few movies as he kept eating. Roman eagerly watched Vixen, kind of curious to what movie Vixen would choose.

“Ah, Beauty and the Beast,” Roman smiled. “A classic.”

“Oh, you mean the movie that promotes bestiality?” Vixen asked, taking another bite.

The resulting scream from Roman could probably have been heard all over the Mindscape.

_“How dare you say such a vile and awful thing?!”_ Roman said from his new position on the floor. “How dare you profane the name of Disney in my presence?”

“But it’s true,” Vixen grinned, looking down at the other. “Belle fell in love with the Beast. We all know what comes after that.”

“But the Beast was not a beast,” Roman protested. “He was a human.”

“Yeah, but she didn’t know that,” Vixen said. “She was fully prepared to get dicked down by an animal peen. And don’t you dare try to say that that was the only part of him that_ wasn’t_ affected by the curse.”

“Silence!” Roman growled. “That’s enough out of you, you fiend! Don’t you dare say another word about my beloved Disney-”

“Of course if that’s not your kink, we could watch the movie that promotes necrophilia,” Vixen continued, highlighting the Snow White movie.

“It does not!” Roman sprang up, looking ready to fight. “She wasn’t dead! She was cursed and asleep!”

“Yeah, but again... the prince did not know that,” Vixen sounded amused. It was way to easy to rile up Roman. Of course he didn’t really believe that Disney promoted such things, but he wasn’t going to miss a chance to mess with Roman. “The prince didn’t even know her name. All he knew was that she liked to sing by wells. And then later on he sees her in an obvious coffin, surrounded by obviously mourning men, and his first thought was probably _‘Well gee! I do hope that rigor mortis hasn’t set in yet!’_“

Roman’s response was to swing his sword, and he narrowly missed smashing Vixen’s plate in half. The other side held it out of reach and glared at he other.

“These are slow cooked homemade tacos. If you ruin them, I will end you,” he snapped. Roman simply gripped his sword even tighter. Vixen finally made his choice and settled back down against the couch to watch.

Roman looked at he screen as a familiar song began to play. He raised an eyebrow and slowly sat down on the couch.

“Princess and the Frog?” He questioned. “You like this movie? It just... it doesn’t seem to fit you.”

“What can I say?” Vixen shrugged. “No one has sex appeal like Dr. Facilier.”


	103. Dancing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The song is 'Slow Dancing in the Dark' by Joji. Remus and Logan have a tender moment. And no, I have not forgotten this ship. Intrulogical is just as alive as Loxen. XD

Logan had gotten up for a glass of juice in the middle of the night. As he passed the living room, he saw the TV was on and a game was paused. Ah, Silent Hill. A classic horror game. It would seem that Remus was up late again.

Logan’s suspicions were confirmed when he smelled a rather enticing smell in the air. It was no secret that Remus often prepared some kind of meal or snack when he was up all night. Often, he prepared foods that sounded disgusting, but this actually smelled appetizing. Some kind of meat was cooking in a pan on the stove.

Logan slowed down when he saw the dimly lit kitchen. Music was playing on Remus’s nearby phone, and he was singing softly to it, slowly swaying to the beat.

_"When I'm around slow dancing in the dark_   
_Don't follow me, you'll end up in my arms_   
_You have made up your mind_   
_I don't need no more signs_   
_Can you?_   
_Can you?"_

It was... strange. Remus’s singing range was in a much different position than the rest of the sides. And most of his singing was loud and energetic and often mimicked Broadway shows. But this...

This was gentle singing. Soft singing. Singing that had far more heart than usual.

And Logan almost felt like he was intruding on something. Still, he stood at the entrance of the kitchen to listen.

It seemed that Remus was making his famous Garbage Nachos. The meat that was cooking was beef tongue, and there were a few other ingredients that Logan recognized. Ghost peppers being one of them. Logan had seen Remus snack on them by the handful without showing even the slightest adverse reaction.

_"Give me reasons we should be complete_   
_You should be with him, I can't compete_   
_You looked at me like I was someone else, oh well_   
_Can't you see?_   
_I don't wanna slow dance_   
_In the dark_   
_Dark_

_When you gotta run_   
_Just hear my voice in you_   
_Shutting me out of you_   
_Doing so great_   
_You”_

Remus turned around, steaming plate of nachos in hand, but he froze at the sight of Logan in the entryway. Remus scrambled to set the plate down and turn the music off, cheeks dusted green as he blushed.

“Logan! You’re up late. I was just making a snack, am I in your way? I’ll move.” He picked up the plate again, but Logan walked closer and stopped him. He set the plate down and turned the song back on.

_“I don't wanna go home_   
_Can it be one night?_   
_Can you?_   
_Can you?”_

Remus gasped sharply. He’d never heard Logan sing before. Logan smiled and wasted no time pulling Remus into his arms. Remus yelped in confusion, but then his blush darkened when Logan began to sway with him.

They were dancing together.

Remus slowly relaxed, melting into Logan’s arms. He liked this. He liked being held like this. He liked dancing like this.

They stayed silent as they danced, both content to just hold and be held. The song eventually ended, but they kept going.

The silence was abruptly ended by a yelp and a chuckle as Remus reached down and grabbed Logan’s ass in both of his hands.


	104. Broadway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The song is 'The Whole Being Dead Thing' from the Beetlejuice musical. I just heard it today and I love it.

Thomas could admit that he had made a mistake.

He’d seen all the positive reviews for the new Beetlejuice musical, and he’d listened to a few songs out of interest. And that was where he made his mistake. He’d recently learned that Remus was in charge of not just his intrusive thoughts, but also in charge of the songs that got stuck in Thomas’s head. Basically, the songs were stuck in his head because Remus would not stop singing them until he tired himself out...

And now Remus had latched onto to one of the songs that Thomas had listened to and fallen in love with it.

_“You're doomed! Enjoy the singing_   
_The sword of Damocles is swinging_   
_And if I hear your cell phone ringing_   
_I'll kill you myself_   
_The whole "being dead" thing!”_

Which was why Remus was now singing the song nonstop. Thomas had tried to block it out, but Remus wasn’t so easily silenced. In fact, he’d even showed himself to Thomas so that he could dance and move around his house and cause all kinds of terrufying sights for Thomas to see.

Basically, it was Remus being Remus.

_“Death can get a person stressed_   
_"We should have carpe'd way more diems_   
_Now we're never gonna see ‘em!"_   
_I can show you what comes next_   
_So don't be freaked_   
_Stay in your seats_   
_I do this bullshit, like, eight times a week_   
_So just relax, you'll be fine_   
_Drink your fifty-dollar wine_   
_And take a breath!”_

Thomas groaned, hands pausing on his laptop keyboard. He was trying to get work done, and Logan had been nice enough to sit with him and keep him on track. But Remus’s singing was distracting him to no end.

“Ugh! I’d get this done if he’d just stop!” Thomas looked over at where Remus was dancing with skeletons that were dressed in black clothing. He looked happy to be singing and dancing, but it was grating on Thomas’s nerves.

“I know how to make him stop,” Logan said cooly, looking up from his notebook.

“What?” Thomas looked surprised. “You can get him to stop? Please do!”

“I’ll do it on one condition,” Logan held up a finger. “Agree to go to bed at nine tonight and I’ll make Remus stop his singing. Non negotiable.”

“Nine?” That was super early for Thomas, he usually stayed up until at least midnight. He glanced over at Remus before sighing and nodding. “Fine. I agree. Just please make him stop.”

Logan looked smug as he closed his notebook and stood up. He walked through the ensemble of macabre back up singers and dancers, coming to a stop right next to Remus.

_“Nobody is bullet-proof_   
_"I work out, I eat clean!"_   
_Jesus, pass the Dramamine_   
_Time to face the brutal truth:_   
_‘Cause we're all on a hit list_   
_Might not live ‘till Christmas_   
_Choke to death on Triscuits_   
_Hey, that's just statistics_   
_So take a little break here_   
_Kinda like a wake here_   
_The scenery is fake here_   
_But there's a giant snake here! MMPH!”_

Logan had pulled Remus into a kiss, much to Thomas’s shock. Remus blushed a deep green, and his eyes went wide. When Logan finally stopped the kiss, Remus was dead silent, and his ensemble vanished in a puff of green smoke.

“Let’s go for a walk, Remus,” Logan took his hand and tugged him away. Remus followed him with wide glassy eyes, and his green blush still burning.

“Yeah... whatever you want, Logi Bear...”


	105. Normal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Human High School Au!

“Do you know how hard it is to admit that we’re related?” Roman glared at his brother. “My friends think you’re the weirdest person they’ve ever seen, and it’s embarassing every time I hear them mention your name. Why can’t you just be normal!?”

Roman stalked off, heading into the house. His brother Remus stayed where he was for a little bit longer, head bowed, hands gripping the straps of his backpack. He couldn’t help the way he was. He liked the way he was. He knew people called him weird or a freak, but he’d never really listened to them.

But Roman didn’t like it. Roman didn’t like how Remus acted, or the things he said. And Remus felt awful for once...

The next day at high school, everyone did a double take at Remus. Instead of his rock band or anime or other pop culture shirts, Remus was wearing a modest green shirt with nothing on it. He’d dyed the streak of grey in his hair to match the rest of it, and he’d combed it a bit better so that it wasn’t just a mess of curls. His usual eye shadow and eye liner were missing as well.

Usually he was loud and cracking jokes and saying vulgar or disturbing things, but today... he was quiet. He spoke when spoken to, but that was it. Roman had yet to notice his brother’s odd behavior since he usually did all he could to avoid him.

In anatomy class, Remus sat at his desk, fidgeting with a speclal fidget cube his friend Virgil had let him borrow. Normally he’d tap his pencil or feet or do other things to help with his restless energy, but today he was trying to keep from doing that.

“Can anyone tell me how many gallons of blood the average human heart pumps each day?” The teacher asked. She glanced at Remus. “Remus? You usually know these things, would you like to answer?”

Remus did know the answer. He knew a lot about human hearts, and he often shared those weird little facts with the class. But this time he shook his head.

“I don’t know,” he said quietly. The teacher blinked in surprise before calling on someone else.

Remus was determined to be normal. For Roman. His brother wanted a normal brother, and Remus loved Roman to a fault. Roman was the most popular boy in school, and Remus was like a giant stain on his reputation. A leech. A mistake. An embarassment.

He would be better for his brother Roman...

“Is that your brother?” Roman’s friend Tina asked. Roman sighed heavily and looked over. His eyes widened in shock and he almost said that couldn’t be Remus.

He hadn’t seen his brother’s new look that morning since Roman carpooled to school with his friends.

“At least he looks normal for once,” Caleb laughed. “God, I don’t know how you put up with him, Roman. I think I’d die if I had a brother like that.”

“Maybe he’s finally figured out how not to be a freak,” George agreed.

Remus had been walking their way, but then he glanced up and saw the group standing nearby. Without any hesitation, Remus turned around and began walking the other way. Roman couldn’t help but feel like something was wrong with this. Remus did not look well.

Remus’s new look and behavior continued for a few weeks before Roman found himself cornered by Remus’s friends Juke and Virgil. The two were often seen all the time with Remus, and they were really good friends. Close as brothers, you could say. 

“Hey, what’s going on with Remus?” Virgil asked. “Even someone as dumb as you should have noticed he’s been acting weird.”

“I don’t know,” Roman shrugged. “Why don’t you ask him?”

“He won’t talk to us,” Juke said. “He’s been avoiding us and ignoring our calls and texts. He doesn’t even play with us on our gaming nights anymore. We were hoping you’d have more information.”

“Wait, he’s not gaming anymore?” Roman asked. “He’s been staying in his room all the time. If he’s not gaming, what’s he doing?”

“You’re his brother,” Virgil snapped. “You’d know more than us. You’re saying you don’t know either? Dammit! Fine. Juke, we’re gonna have to kidnap him tomorrow after school.”

“Hey!” Roman protested.

“It’s the only way we’ll get answers,” said Juke. “If you really don’t know what’s wrong with him. He hasn’t said anything to you in the last few weeks or so? Did something happen?”

Roman thought about it, and then he paused. He remembered what he’d said to Remus. How he wanted Remus to be normal...

“Guys,” he finally said. “I think I know what he’s doing...”


	106. Normal 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because I like this au and actually have a plot in mind...

“Hey Roman?” Roman looked up from his homework as Patton set a box on the table and then sat in the chair in front of him. They were both in the dining room, the tv faintly playing in the distance. 

“What’s up, Padre?” Roman asked, glancing curiously at the box.

“Do you... do you know if something’s wrong with Remus?” Patton sounded concerned. “He’s... he hasn’t been acting like himself lately, and then just this morning, I found this box out by the garbage can.

Roman set his pencil down and opened the box. He gasped, his eyes wide. The box was full of video games, movies, manga, comic books, all of them gorey and violent and full of horror. Roman knew they all belonged to Remus.

“He was always so proud of his collection,” said Patton. “Some of these are very rare. I remember he worked so hard doing yardwork so that he could afford to buy these. He wouldn’t just throw them out...”

Roman sat down heavily. He’d seen Remus’s new look, he’d heard Virgil and Juke’s concerned words, but... he didn’t think ir would go this far. Suddenly, he began to feel guilty about what he’d said.

“Roman?” Patton raised an eyebrow. “Do you know what’s going on?”

“I...I...” Roman felt tears welling up in his eyes. “I did this...”

“What?” Patton blinked in confusion as Roman started to cry. He pulled his son in for a hug and rubbed his back. “Kiddo, what do you mean?”

“I was so angry at him,” Roman sniffled. “I was so angry at how he acted and what he said, and... I yelled at him! I told him how embarrased I was and how I wish he could just be normal and... and now he’s doing this!”

“Roman,” Patton pulled back with a disappointed look. “How could you say those things to your brother? You know Remus can’t help the way he is. And he’s always looked up to you. You must have crushed him by saying that.”

“What can I do?” Roman asked. “He’s changed so much. How can I make him stop? I don’t... I don’t want him to be unhappy. I should never have said those things, but is it too late now? His friends say he hasn’t spoken to them in weeks!”

“You need to talk to him,” said Patton. “Tomorrow morning. Have him take you to school, and you can talk to him in the car. Let him know you didn’t mean what you said. Let him know how you really feel. And for the love of rocky road ice cream, make sure you apologize. I know you were probably very angry when you said those words, but you still said them. You hurt your brother, and now you need to make things right...”

He folded the flaps of the box and picked it up.

“In the meantime, let me know if you see any more of these boxes. I’ll keep them safe for when he changes his mind.”

Roman nodded and sniffled again. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. He had no desire to do his homework now...


	107. Unfaithful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I haven't written much of violent or scary Remus, so I thought I'd bring it back for another human au. Basically, Remus find out his fiance has been cheating on him for a while. I didn't want to use another side, so Daniel is just some random guy.

“After everything I’ve done for you... this is how you repay me,” Remus looked away from the knife he was currently playing with. Instead, he focused on the shirtless man that was currently tied to a chair in the dimly lit room.

“What was it?” Remus asked, walking closer. “What caused your infidelity? What drew you to that... boy? Oh, he is a boy. A delicate little thing. Was it his innocence? His looks? His dick?”

Remus took a moment to savor the utter terror in his ex fiance’s eyes. The man was wheezing and panting behind the length of fabric Remus had tied around his mouth. But the building they were in had long since been abandoned. No one would hear him screaming here.

He cut the fabric away, and the other took a deep breath, still shaking in fear.

“Remus, please. He meant nothing to me. Nothing at all! I... he seduced me! He came onto me! I was drunk and-”

“Shh...” Remus pressed the flat of the knife against the other’s lips. “Hush now. We both know that those are lies. Don’t we, Daniel? That boy is too innocent to seduce you. You just wanted someone to fuck, and I wasn’t there so you found someone that you could keep on the side. Am I right?”

Daniel didn’t answer. He knew his fate was sealed.

Remus sighed.

“Ugh... Danny, Danny, Danny,” he tsked. “I was so happy to be planning our wedding. I was thinking about the wonderful future we’d have together. A house, a dog, maybe a child or two. But you just had to break my heart, didn’t you?”

“Don’t hurt him,” Daniel finally croaked out. “You’re right, it wasn’t his fault-”

“Who, your sideboy?” Remus laughed. “Oh, don’t worry. I won’t touch a hair on your little toy’s head. I know he’s not the guilty one here. All my wrath is just for you. And we’re going to have a lot of fun tonight.”

“Y-You can’t!” Daniel struggled in his bindings. “They’ll know it was you! They’ll know you murdered me, and then you’ll fry for it!”

“Oh Darling,” Remus crooned, dragging the knife point lightly up Daniel’s chest. “It’s only murder if they find the body. Until then it’s a missing person’s case.”


	108. Siren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Au for the Loxen shippers.

“Come with me.”

Logan looked down into the ocean, glowing pink eyes looking back at him. He sighed heavily, sitting down on the dock.

“I can’t leave my family behind,” he said.

“Are they your family?” Vixen huffed, finned tail moving idly beneath the water. “They’re marrying you off to a girl you do not love. You will be trapped in a loveless marriage until the end of your life. Is that what you want?”

“I don’t have a choice,” said Logan. “An alliance with her family will secure our future.”

“_Their_ future,” Vixen corrected. “They care not for your own. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You’re scared, but you want to come with me. I know. I can see it. All you have to do is jump into this water and I’ll take you away from all of this. I’ll give you a future that you will be happy with. Us. Together. Isn’t that what you want?”

It was. Logan wanted that very badly. He’d fallen in love with Vixen after all their time spent together. Vixen always listened to him talk about the stars and the oceans and the lands far beyond them. Vixen had never told him he talks to much. Vixen had never shamed him for his knowledge.

“I...” Logan hesitated. “I...”

He sighed.

“I just want to be happy,” he finally said. “I want to be with you, but I don’t have the courage I need. And how would it even work? You’re a merman. I’m a human-”

He fell silent when Vixen pulled himself onto the dock. His long dark hair fell around him, decorated in brightly colored seashells.His smooth skin faded into pink scales as his tail stretched out behind him. He half hung from the dock, holding onto Logan’s legs.

“How about this?” He said. “All you have to do is nod your head. Nod your head... and I’ll drag you into the ocean and put you to sleep. When you wake up, it will be to a new day and a new future. One made by us together. And from there we will make our way in the world. And you’ll never have to worry about that girl or your family again. Ok?”

Logan thought about it for a few minutes. Vixen was offering him a way out, but did he deserve it? All his life, his family had told him that he was their only hope for a better future. Marry someone, create an alliance, and then everything would be fine. But Logan did not love this girl. He didn’t love any girl.

He loved Vixen. He loved the merman who had given him the company he’d always wanted.

And he wanted to leave.

Steeling himself, Logan gave a firm nod. Vixen’s face lit up with a smile, and he gave a mighty pull. Logan fell into the water and felt Vixen’s magic wash over him.

He fell asleep feeling Vixen’s lips on his own, mind finally free of worry.


	109. Lullaby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's supposed to be working on Goody Two Shoes? I'm sorry, I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can. In the meantime, please enjoy more smol Virgil. Also, the song is 'All the Pretty Little Horses".

Deceit was woken up by a knock at his door. A glance at the clock told him it was the early hours of the morning. He groaned, knowing there was only one reason why someone would be knocking at his door.

He moved to sit up, but a hand pressed him down.

“No no,” Vixen yawned as he got up from the other side of the bed. “You got him last time. I’ll take care of it.”

“Bless you,” Deceit yawned as he settled back to sleep.

Vixen opened the door and was met with the shaking form of little Virgil. The newest and youngest side seemed to have a problem with nightmares, and everyone had made sure he knew that he could come get them in the night if needed. Virgil seemed to gravitate towards Deceit’s room more often than not.

“Hi Sweetiekins,” Vixen closed the door behind him and knelt down. “Another nightmare?”

Virgil sniffled and nodded.

“Oh come here,” Vixen picked him up and kissed his hair. “It’s ok. Everything’s ok. Here, let’s go back and I’ll sit with you until you fall asleep again, ok?”

Virgil whimpered and nodded as Vixen carried him back to his room. His room had a bright nightlight that projected purple stars on the wall. Vixen gave it a nudge, causing it to lazily spin, and the stars moved with it.

_“Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,_   
_Go to sleep my little baby._   
_When you wake you shall have_   
_All the pretty little horses.“_

Vixen sung as he tucked Virgil into his bed. He picked up the stuffed snake that had fallen on the floor and handed it to Virgil. Virgil held the snake plush close and nuzzled his face against it.

_“Black and bays, dapples, grays,_   
_All the pretty little horses.”_

Vixen kept singing as he sat on the edge of Virgil’s bed. He reached and began to gently pet Virgil’s hair. The smaller side began to slowly settle down, watching the stars move across the walls and listening to Vixen’s voice. He reached out and held onto Vixen’s hand.

_“Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,_   
_Go to sleep my little baby._   
_When you wake you shall have_   
_All the pretty little horses.”_

Vixen kept singing as he patiently waited for Virgil to fall back asleep. He considered speaking to Remy to see if there was a reason he was having so many nightmares, or if there was anything else they could do to improve his slumber. Warm milk only seemed to do so much...

Virgil finally did fall asleep, and Vixen pressed another kiss to his forehead. He quietly left the room and walked back to Deceit’s room. Crawling into bed, he wrapped the other side in his arms and cuddled close with a content sigh.


	110. Author's Note (Again. Sorry)

Hey guys! Thanks so much for all the comments and suggestions!

Do you remember about 78 chapters ago when I said I was going to do a chapter based on the Q&A Thomas did with his sides? Well, I had the idea that since the newest sides have become so popular, I’ll add them in too.

So send in questions for Deceit, Remus, Tristan, Vixen, and Devlin! Any question you want! When I get enough I’ll write a chapter of them answering them. And don’t worry, I still have the questions that were suggested all those chapters ago. Thanks and have a great day!


	111. SCP

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus learns something very distressing...

“THOMAS!”

Thomas flinched, nearly falling off the couch as Remus appeared next to him. The creative side looked very distressed and was clutching Thomas’s laptop. Thomas was confused as he rarely saw Remus like this.

“What?” He asked. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh, it’s awful, Thomas! Simply awful!” Remus flopped onto the couch and handed the laptop over. “Your friend Markimoo made a video today. SCP is in trouble! Someone is trying to usurp their creepypasta throne!”

“Huh?” Thomas pressed play on the video, listening to Mark’s voice. “Wait, you watch Mark’s videos?”

“He’s a funny guy,” Remus shrugged. “But that’s not the point! Just listen!”

Thomas listened to the video. Mark spoke of a Russian man who had illegally trademarked SCP and was using it sell merchandise and extort the admins and creators of the site. He’d already gotten the Russian branch shut down...

“That’s horrible,” Thomas said. He could appreciate the SCP site as they were a collaborative effort with many authors and artists. He’d often applauded their community even if some of the games and stories were too gruesome for him.

“What can we do?” Thomas asked. Remus summoned his morningstar.

“We fight! We ride into glorious legal battle and we stop this man! Thomas, you need to donate! Where’s your wallet?!” Remus dropped his morningstar in favor of digging through Thomas’s pockets. “You can spare a couple thousand, right? Hurry!”

“Hey wait!” Thomas wriggled out of Remus’s grasp and stood up. “What’s gotten into you? Why are you so bent out of shape over this?”

“You fool...” Remus hissed. “Of course you don’t know... I’ve been slowly replicating the SCP foundation and all its inhabitants within my side of the imagination. I’m a little more than halfway done. If the SCP Foundation is dissolved... then there will be nothing to secure, contain, or protect the inhabitants. And they will all run free within your mind...”

Thomas stared in horror for a few minutes.

“So you said they’re taking donations?” Thomas fished out his wallet. “I can spare some money for a good cause...”


	112. Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys ship more: Intrulogical or Loxen? I'm gonna keep writing both, but I'm curious.

“As you can see, this is the complete formula,” Logan said as he wrote the numbers on the chalkboard. He set the chalk down and turned around. “Now, are there any quest-”

His words died in his throat when he saw who was sitting at a desk in the front.

Leaning back in his chair and chewing rather suggestively on a pen, Vixen was dressed in a pink school girl's uniform, bereft of his signature coat and his boots. But he was wearing Logan’s old tie, and that little detail stuck out the most.

“Oh professor, I’ll do anything for a better grade,” Vixen smiled as he stood up and walked to the chalkboard.

“I don’t understand,” said Logan. “This is a dream. How are you here?”

“I have connections,” Vixen sat on the edge of Logan’s desk. “Do you want me to leave?”

“N-no,” Logan shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

His eyes were drawn to the length of blue matieral tied around Vixen’s neck, sitting comfortably against smooth skin as if it were made to sit there. Logan cleared his throat and stepped back.

“I see you’re... you’re wearing my tie,” he said, looking away.

“Of course I am,” Vixen giggled. “I love it. It even smells like you. Like... new books and coffee and... a bit of Crofters sweetness.”

“Your jacket smells like you too,” Logan said. “Those perfumed cosmetics you wear, and... and something else. I can’t put my finger on it, but I like that smell. It makes me feel... something.”

“Something?” Vixen echoed, reaching out a bare foot to lightly brush against Logan’s leg. “What kind of something? Describe it, maybe we can figure it out.”

“I...” Logan felt as if he should run away. Run away, wake up, forget this ever happened. Repression. But Remus had always said that repression was bad...

Logan felt vulnerable, as if he were naked all the way to his very being. He was baring himself to Vixen in a way that he never had with the others. 

But then Vixen was bare too.

His coat and boots were gone, leaving him without their comforts, and the blue of Logan’s old tie stood out proudly among the pink. Vixen had wanted to be on equal footing with Logan, even if this made him a few inches shorter than Logan.

“You’re not wearing your boots,” Logan said instead. Vixen laughed and stood up, moving closer to Logan.

“I like it when you’re taller than me,” he said. “But you didn’t answer my question. What does my scent make you feel?”

“I...” Logan stuttered again. “It...”

“Go slow,” Vixen smiled encouraginly. “We’re not in a hurry.”

“It’s like... sunshine,” Logan blurted out. “Like... standing under a warm sun after a harsh winter. It’s like... curling up on the couch with your favorite book. It’s like... when you finally finish a difficult puzzle.”

Vixen actually looked touched. He had the sweetest smile on his face, looking at Logan with an expression the logical side couldn’t quite read. All he knew was that he liked that expression. He wanted to see more of it.

“And... and when I see you wear my tie,” Logan felt a bit of courage after his confession, wanting to keep the momentum going. “I feel... as if all the stars in the sky are mine, as if the very moon was part of my possessions. And... I like it. I like seeing you wear my tie. And I like the idea that you might... that we might...”

He stopped there, unable to go on, Unable to say what he wanted. He wasn’t even entirely sure what he wanted to say, so he left it there.

“Do you want to kiss me?” Vixen suddenly asked. He sunk his teeth into his painted bottom lip, a dark red. Logan inhaled sharply and stepped back, suddenly feeling as if Vixen was too close. All he could smell was perfume and feel that warmth again- but it was too much. It was too much all at once.

But Logan liked it. It made his blood sing. it made him feel... alive.

“I...” he took another deep breath. “Yes. Please. But I don’t want to do anything else right now.”

“That’s ok,” Vixen moved closer. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do. You’re in control, Logan. Never forget that. We move at your pace.”

Logan nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He cleared his throat again, leaning forward slightly. Vixen held still, letting Logan set his pace. Logan leaned further, hovering over Vixen and staring into his beautifully outlined eyes. Until with a final burst of movement, Logan kissed Vixen.

Logan’s mind and body burst with warmth. This... this was far sweeter than Crofters, far warmer than sunshine, far better than just a scent. A taste... a feeling... it was intoxicating. But it was too much, and Logan feared he may be burned. 

He broke away with a gasp and stood tall, touching his fingers to his lips. 

He wondered briefly in the back of his mind if this was how Eve felt after biting the apple....


	113. Phantom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The song is 'Phantom' by Natewantstobattle. Just be careful when singing it...

Remus could hear the music blaring from Virgil’s head phones. He perked up when a familiar tunr began to play. He grinned and tugged the chord from Virgil’s phone, causing the song to play out loud.

“Turn it up!” Remus cried. “Turn that shit up!”

Virgil smiled and did so, the music attracting Deceit’s attention from the kitchen. He walked out to see Remus and Virgil doing some epic air guitar and moving to the music. And then Virgil began to sing.

_“I'm just a phantom in your room_   
_With no intent on leaving soon_   
_And you're still not even sure just how I got here_   
_Another ghost that's in your bed_   
_That you wish you could leave for dead_   
_Ain't no magic word can make me disappear.”_

And then Remus took over.

_“Now that room, it starts to dim_   
_Set the mood for onset sin_   
_And now we're passed out on the floor of your apartment_   
_With every single warning sign_   
_It passed you up and slipped you by_   
_But we're all bound to end up back to where we started, yeah.”_

Deceit waited before he began to sing the chorus.

_“I'm not what you want_   
_But I'm exactly what you need_   
_Take a bite and feed_   
_Your satisfaction guaranteed...”_

And then all three were singing together just like old times. Remus and Virgil kept moving and Remus really turned up his air guitar, waving his arm in wide arcs as he ‘strummed’. Virgil couldn’t help but laugh at the sight. Deceit smiled fondly at the two, happy to see them singing together again.

The song was suddenly interrupted after the second verse as the lights began to flicker. Virgil stopped singing and looked around, running over to mute his phone. Remus summoned his morningstar, ready to fight if needed.

Black smoke appeared in a nearby corner, swirling and moving restlessly. Deceit pushed Remus and Virgil behind him, hissing a warning. The cloud finally cleared to reveal a man standing in the middle of it.

The man had dark hair and wore a red shirt with a black vest and slacks. He carried an ornate walking cane and had guages in his ears.

“Someone summoned me?” He purred. His eyes flashed with mischief.


	114. Egos 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I had this idea for a long time, and only recently found out that it's a popular headcanon.

Dr. Henrik Von Schneeplestein didn’t know what to think of the sides. He’d been invited over by Jack, and a few other egos had come too, but Henrik found himself sitting in a corner and just watching the others interact.

He had a certain respect for Logan, being the educated man that he was, but Patton reminded him of a mother hen, and Roman was too... much. Virgil was too quiet to carry on any sort of conversation, so Henrik simply let him be.

_“Wie erwartet er von mir, dass ich Freunde mache?”_ He muttered to himself. _“Sie haben zu viel Energie.”_

_“Sie haben noch niemanden mit zu viel Energie gesehen,”_ a nearby voice chuckled.

Henrik started and turned to see one of Thomas’s sides. This one wore green and black and looked like a sick patient that Henrik had once attended to. All shadows around the eyes and pale skin...

_“Ich bin derjenige, der die ganze Energie hat,”_ the side proudly said. _“Mein Name ist Remus.“_

_“Sie sprechen Deutsch?“_ Henrik sounded surprised. _“Ich wusste nicht, dass einer von euch Deutsch sprechen kann.“_

_“Mein Bruder kann Spanisch, aber ich kann Deutsch,”_ Remus took a seat. “Sorry, am I annoying you? You were over here all alone and I heard you speaking. I haven’t ever had someone to speak German with, so I got a little excited.

“No,” Henrik shook his head and actually managed a small smile. “No you are not annoying me at all. I don’t have anyone to speak my Mother tongue with either. It’s... I like it.” He turned back to the other group of sides. _“Wer von ihnen ist dein Bruder?“_

Remus chuckled and pointed out Roman. He and Henrik kept a conversation going until Jack had to leave.


	115. Split

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I named the original Creativity Julius after Julius Caesar for obvious reasons. As you can see... Remus was affected a bit more than Roman was.

Their name had once been Julius.

A king. Thomas’s creativity.

They’d had a kingdom in the imagination, a beautiful one. 

A happy one.

They had been beloved by all.

But then Julius began to show... troubling ideas. He’d branched out into the realms of goth and horror, trying to help Thomas become more well rounded. A writer cannot just produce cotton candy dreams and sunshine thoughts all the time. There had to be a balance to it.

But Patton had disagreed.

He’d expressed his disappointment and fears in what Julius was doing.

“It’s for Thomas!” Julius protested. “He could become a great horror writer in the future. There’s no harm in him having these thoughts now.”

“His parents and school teachers are already concerned,” Patton folded his arms. “Do you want him to lose his friends? Do you want his family afraid of him? Do you know what happens to people who have thoughts like that? They get locked away! Is that what you want?”

“Now you’re just being ridiculous,” Julius argued. “There’s no harm in this. And there’s certainly benefits to having a more well rounded imagination. Even Disney has dark moments.”

“No!” Patton said. “For Thomas’s safety, I want you to stop making him write or draw those horrible thoughts. And that’s final!”

Julius hadn’t known, but that had been his last time talking to Patton. The next time they met again...

Patton leapt from his bed as he heard screaming coming from down the hallway. He followed it to Julius’s room and wrenched the door open. The bed was empty, but on the floor sat two small boys instead of the adult king.

One was dressed in white and smiled happily at seeing Patton.

“Patton!” He walked forward and hugged the now older side’s legs. Patton stared in shock. 

“What... who are you?” He knelt down to see the other better.

“I’m Roman!” said the little boy. “Thomas’s creativity.”

The screaming had quieted into loud sobs that were coming from the other boy who was dressed in black. The other boy was hugging himself and rocking back and forth, clearly in distress. Patton let go of Roman and carefully walked over to the other.

“Are you ok?” He asked, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder.

The other boy looked up, and Patton yelped. The boy’s eyes were dark and looked as if they were staring straight into Patton’s soul. 

“We are broken now,” The boy said softly. His voice sounded hollow. “We can never be what we once were. I... I’m in Hell. I can feel the break. It hurts... it hurts!”

The sobbing began again, and Patton moved away from the other child. Julius... he had split? He had really split? Well... the boys were still family. Patton would watch over them and raise them as his own. He could handle this.

Right?


	116. Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And thus... Remus joined the dark sides.

Patton was at the end of his rope.

He’d nurtured Remus as much as he could, the new side having calmed down from the split that had happened months ago. But Remus... well, Remus was something else. Logan behaved, Roman behaved in his own way, but Remus... Remus was a terror.

Patton had tried everything he could to keep the peace in the family, but everyone’s nerves were frayed and on edge. Not to mention that Roman was starting to get scared of Remus after the disturbing drawings he had made. Something had to change or everyone was going to go mad.

And thus Patton began thinking of the other family. The one below them, led by Deceit. Surely he was used to such antics, he would be better prepared to handle Remus’s behaviors. And Remus did deserve a place where he could thrive and family that wasn’t afraid of him.

It was a difficult decision, one that Patton didn’t want to make, but he had no choice. He’d tried everything, but nothing had worked.

>>>>>>

“I’m going away?” Remus asked as Patton finally told him his plan. “But why?”

“It’s... it’s complicated,” Patton said, keeping a reassuring smile. “It’s just... this isn’t the best place for you right now. I’m going to take you to a better place where you can be yourself and you’ll do much better there.”

“B-but...” Remus looked at his door. Across the hall was Roman’s room. “But what about Roman? We’re both Creativity, we’re supposed to work together.”

“I know, Kiddo,” Patton sighed. “I know, but... sometimes things don’t go the way we want them to. You and Roman are... well, you’re just too different. And it’s no one’s fault. It’s... it’s just how things are.”

“I don’t want to go,” Remus gasped, tearing up. “Please don’t make me go! I’m sorry for the drawings I made! I’ll try to draw more like Roman! I promise I’ll try!”

“I’m sorry, Remus,” Patton did look sorry. “You have to go. You can still come visit your brother, I promise. I won’t keep you away from him.”

Remus dissolved into sobs, and Patton hugged him tightly. He wished there was another way...

>>>>>>

“So you’re dumping your unwanted spawn on me,” Deceit said icily as he and Patton sat at the kitchen table.

Patton had brought Remus down to his new home and explained what he was doing to Deceit. Needless to say, Deceit wasn’t taking it well.

“No!” Patton frowned. “I just think he would do better down here. I tried to take care of him, I tried to raise him, but I can’t. I’m not equipped to handle him.”

“So first you split them in two, and now you’re splitting them up,” Deceit shook his head. “So much for a loving family.”

“It’s not like that!” Patton protested. “Stop making me out to be some bad guy. I’m just trying to do what’s best for him and what’s best for Thomas. But you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you? You’ve never tried to do what was best for Thomas!”

Patton knew he had made a mistake when Deceit’s eyes began to glow yellow.

“I have _always_ tried to do what’s best for Thomas,” Deceit hissed. “In my own way. Even though you’ve tried to stop me each time. Well, if we are all so evil, then surely you wouldn’t want to taint yourself with our presence. Get.. the fuck... out of my home. I’ll take care of Remus since you claim to be so ill equipped.”

Patton stood up and left, seeing Remus sitting in the living room looking miserable. Three other sides had surrounded him and were trying to cheer him up.

Surely Remus would be in better hands down here...


	117. Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So we went through a cold snap and I heard stories about how it was affecting the reptiles...

**“LOGAN!”**

The logical side barely had time to react before Remus suddenly appeared and pulled him down from his room. Logan shivered slightly at the much lower temperature in the Dark Side living room.

Surely it wasn’t always this cold. Florida was going through a bit of a cold snap lately, could that be the reason?

“Logan, I need your help!”

Oh right, Remus was there and tugging at his hand.

“Remus, what’s wrong?” Logan pulled his hand away, suddenly worried that Remus might very well rip it off.

“It’s Mama!” Remus looked very distraught, buzzing with anxious energy the likes of which would impress even Virgil. “He won’t wake up!”

“He won’t wake up?” Logan said, following Remus to Deceit’s room.

“He’s been looking so horrible lately, but every time I asked if he was ok, he said he was fine. But I knew he was lying because he often lies about his health,” Remus was rambling without pausing for breath. “So this morning I made him those big thick pancakes he really likes. You know, the kind that jiggles when you shake them? And then I tried to wake him up and say ‘Hey Mama, there are pancakes out here. Come get some’. But he wouldn’t move. And he looks so pale and sick, and I’m worried because what if he dies? He can’t die! I don’t want him to die, Logan!”

He’d started crying halfway through his one breath explanation, and Logan was quick pat his shoulder, trying to offer comfort.

“Remus, don’t worry. I’ll take a look at him. Now wait here while I do so.”

Remus sniffled loudly, wiping his dripping nose with his sleeve. Logan stifled a remark about germs, instead entering Deceit’s room.

Deceit was lying in the bed, a mountain of blankets over him. But his skin still felt cold when Logan touched it. He didn’t seem to be exhibiting any other symptoms besides being very cold and pale, and... well obviously lethargic.

But then....

Logan glanced at Deceit’s scales.

Of course!

The cold snap. The drop in temperature.

Logan quickly picked Deceit up and carried him from the room.

“Logan?” Remus asked, following behind. “Logan, what are you doing?”

“Reptiles cannot survive in temperatures like this,” Logan shouldered open the door that seperated the two sides and carried Deceit further into the Light Side living room. “His body is shutting down from it to conserve heat and energy. We need to warm him up quickly. Remus, in the hall is a closet, open it and bring the heated blanket as well as the thickest ones on the bottom shelf.”

Remus nodded and ran off to do just that. Logan lay Deceit down on the couch and arranged him into a comfortable position. When Remus came back, the two of them wrangled the blankets to cover Deceit from chin to toes, and Logan turned on the electric one, setting it at a safe temperature.

“What now?” Remus asked, looking lost.

“Now we wait,” said Logan. “His temperature will regulate, and he will eventually wake up. But he may still be weak when that happens. I’ll help you take care of him until he recovers.”

“THANK YOU!” Remus launched himself at the other Side and pulled Logan into a tight hug with both arms and tentacles. Logan grimaced at the slimy feel, but he still pat Remus’s head.

“It’s no problem,” he said. “I’m happy to help.”


	118. Normal 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So... I may have cried a little while writing this.

The next morning, Roman was prepared. He caught Remus before he left, hefting his bag against his shoulder.

“Remus, wait!”

Remus paused and slowly turned to look at Roman. His expression was dead and neutral, and... frankly it was unnerving. Roman cleared his throat and gave his best smile.

“I was hoping to catch a ride with you. To school. In your car.”

Remus raised an eyebrow.

“What happened to your usual ride?” He asked. “They couldn’t make it?”

“I... well, I was just hoping to ride with you,” Roman cringed. “You know, since you’re my bro and all.”

Remus narrowed his eyes, and Roman was worried he was going to decline. But then Remus was beckoning to him and walking out the door. Roman scrambled after him in case he changed his mind.

The ride was even worse!

Remus often drove like a bat out of hell with heavy metal music blasting through the speakers. But now, the radio was compeltely turned off and Remus was driving like an old man.

And still the same dead expression on his face.

Ugh, it reminded Roman of the time the doctor had prescribed Remus medication for his ADD. The medication had made Remus look and act like a zombie when it finally began to take effect. Patton had been quick to flush the pills down the toilet and chewed out the doctor in the most polite way he could manage...

“So...” Roman hated awkward silences. “How’s school going?”

Ouch, was he really that desperate to use that topic? Well, surely that would strike up a lengthy conversation-

“It’s fine,” Remus answered.

Silence.

Back to square one...

“You know...” Roman tried again after a few minutes. “Dad’s been worried about you. He... well, he says you haven’t been acting like your usual self.”

Remus didn’t respond.

“I mean... it’s kind of jarring,” Roman chuckled nervously. “You’re usually so... loud. And... colorful. And... really loud.” He glanced at his brother, but Remus once again didn’t respond.

“He’s like... really worried, bro,” Roman tried again. Why couldn’t Patton talk with him?! Why did it have to be Roman?! He wasn’t a shrink-

Remus suddenly slammed on the breaks and turned into a nearby parking lot. Roman screamed as the car behind them swerved and angrily honked their horn. Remus silently pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine.

“What the hell?!” Roman was clutching his chest. “What was that?!”

Remus turned to look at Roman, causing the other to flinch back against the window. Finally, there was emotion.

Too bad it was anger.

“What... do you want, Roman?” Remus asked slowly and firmly.

Roman blinked, relaxing slightly. Why did his brother have to be so... strange? They were twins! They should be similar. They should be like... two halves of a whole-

“I am exhausted and sick and done with jumping through your hoops and dancing to your tune and doing whatever the fuck else I can to make you like me,” Remus said. “And you don’t even like me now when I’m trying to be exactly as you want me to be. Should I just die?! Is that it, brother? Should I leap off a building and let you mop up my guts and dump me into a grave?! Maybe drown myself and get eaten by sharks?! Take a bath with a toaster like in those old cartoons?!”

“W...Wha?” Roman was confused. Remus growled and grabbed Roman by the front of his shirt.

“Just tell me what you want me to do!” He yelled. “All these years in school you’ve been pushing me away and telling me to act normal so that you can get your stupid scholarship and go off to your fancy college and become famous! I’m trying, brother! I swear I am, just...” his expression fell, looking sad as tears welled up in his eyes. “Just please tell me what to do so that I won’t lose you...”

He dissolved into tears, pressing his face into Roman’s shirt. Roman was speechless, watching his brother break down in front of him. He did the only thing he could think of and gathered Remus into his arms.

“Oh my god...” he said softly. “Remus, I...”

But what could he say? It was all true. He really had been pushing his own twin away, bragging about how he was going to be a star one day, sneering at Remus’s talents and interests, letting the teachers and students stroke his ego.

And in the process, he became the very thing he hated: an egotistical asshole.

Roman pulled Remus closer. He had to fix this. He had to fix this now. But how?

A spark of inspiration came to him.

“Remus, switch seats with me,” Roman said, already wrangling Remus around. Remus let himself be manhandled through the tight fit, wiping his eyes as he was moved to the passenger seat. Roman plopped behind the wheel and restarted the car.

“Wh... what are you doing?” Remus sniffled. 

“We’re skipping school,” said Roman. “I’m taking you to the mall and the boardwalk and the beach and wherever else you wanna go. We’re just gonna hang out and have fun today. As brothers. Nay... as twins.”

Remus’s eyes slowly lit up at Roman’s words, eagerly buckling his seatbelt. Roman was taking him to hang out? Was he really? Oh, he hoped this wasn’t a trick. Or a joke. Was Roman recording this?

“Hey Dad?” Roman held his phone to his ear and used his other hand to drive out of the parking lot. “Change of plans today...”


	119. Aro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman learns something startling about Devlin

“Can you please move?” Devlin sighed. “I’m trying to be nice.”

He was stirring the sauce he was about to slather over the rack of ribs that sat on the counter to the side. Slow cooked sweet barbecue ribs was a specialty of his, and it was his turn to cook dinner.

The kitchen had been expanded ever since the two families had combined, but Roman had a bad habit of always getting in the way.

“I’m trying to find Thomas a good brownie recipe to bake,” Roman said, flipping through one of many cookbooks. “Hopefully he can use them to wow his date tomorrow night. It’s been far too long since we’ve had someone to romance.”

“Romance,” Devlin mimicked Roman’s tone as he began pouring the sauce. “Makes me glad I don’t fall in love like you guys do. Some of the stuff people do these days just seems like a waste of time and money.”

Roman gasped, looking at the other side in shock.

“What?” He said. “You don’t... you don’t fall in love? How?! Everyone falls in love at some point in their life.”

“Not me,” Devlin shrugged. “I’m what you would call aromantic. And before you ask, no it doesn’t mean I smell good. It just means that I don’t develope romantic feelings.”

“So... you don’t love?” Roman said slowly. 

“I don’t love romantically,” Devlin said. “I love my family, I love my friends, but I don’t love anyone more than that. It’s just something that doesn’t happen to me.”

“Hmm...” Roman thought about it. There had to be a reason. “Is it because you represent anger? Maybe Patton took all the emotions and that’s why-”

“There’s nothing wrong with me,” Devlin glared. “It’s a real thing and it’s just like being gay or straight. Go ask the nerd about it if you can’t wrap your tiny little brain around the concept.”

“Fine,” Roman stood up dramatically. “I will. And you can just stay here and... do whatever people like you do.”

“Well right now, I’m putting dinner in the oven,” said Devlin. “And then I’m going to have a nice nap with Tristan. You can prance off like the peacock you are.”

“I am not a peacock,” Roman snapped. He turned around and sashayed out of the kitchen, just missing Devlin’s snort of amusement.


	120. Paranoia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As requested by many, the story of Virgil's corruption. Or at least, the start of it.

It had all started when Thomas started thinking about taking medication for his anxiety.

Virgil had overheard, and... well, he was understandably upset.

The younger side had finally found his place in Thomas’s life, and he had taken to his job with gusto. Always watching, always guiding. Even if he was wrong about some things, Virgil didn’t let it bother him.

But now Thomas was talking about getting rid of him. Could he? Could medication get rid of Virgil?

Virgil thought about Pan and Morey, and he shuddered. Death was a very real thin, and he didn’t want to die.

“He won’t come out of his room,” Devlin sighed to Deceit. “I’ve tried everything short of just breaking his door down all together.”

“Don’t,” said Deceit. “That might make things worse. I’ll have a talk with him. See if I can’t find out what’s got him acting like this.”

“Good luck,” Devlin shrugged. “But be quick. Tristan’s really worried about him, and you know how he gets when he’s worried.”

“I’ve got it,” Deceit waved him off. “Just keep the others away from Virgil’s room until I get back.”

He scaled the stairs up to the long hallway that held their bedrooms. Virgil’s stuck out because of the band stickers that adorned the dark wood of his door. Deceit pressed his ear against it, but heard nothing. He tried the knob, but it was locked.

“Virgil?” He called. “Virgil, I need to talk to you. You’ve been in your room for the past three days and everyone’s worried about you. Are you ok? If you don’t open this door, I’m going to come in.”

He waited, but heard nothing once again. After a few minutes passed, he sighed.

“Very well,” he said. “I’m coming in, Virgil.”

He sunk down through the floor and then paused. It took a lot of effort on his part, but he was able to redirect himself to sink up into Virgil’s room. It was a handy ability he had, always able to sink up into bed rooms even if the door was locked.

Deceit looked around, squinting in the dark. Virgil’s room was lit by only a single lamp in the corner, and it looked messier than he’d ever seen it. Virgil himself was huddled against the wall, shaking and staring into the distance.

“Virgil?” Deceit walked over and knelt down. “Virgil, what’s wro-”

“He wants to kill me,” Virgil said softly. “They all do.”

“Who?” Deceit asked. “Who wants to kill you? What do you mean?”

“Thomas said he was going to take medication to get rid of me,” Virgil finally looked up, his eyes bright purple. “He’s going to kill me. I don’t want to die!”

“Virgil,” Deceit sighed. He hadn’t heard Thomas say anything like this. “Virgil, he’s not going to kill you.”

**“How do you know!”** Virgil leapt up, and Deceit could see his clothes had changed. His once bland hoodie was now covered in eyes of all sizes and colors. Deceit did not remember Virgil ever having that hoodie...

**“How do you know Thomas isn’t going to kill me?!”** Virgil roared.** “They all want me dead, I know it! Those light sides always muttering about me and watching me when they think I won’t notice.”**

“Watching you?” Deceit moved to sit on Virgil’s bed. “Virgil, no one’s been here except for us.”

**"You’re lying!“** Virgil snapped. “You’re... you’re in on this too. You want me dead too!”

“What?” Deceit put his hands up in surrender. “Of course I don’t. I love you like a son.”

“You’re lying,” Virgil moved back, pressing his back against the wall. “I know you are. You’re all in on this. All of you want me gone just like Thomas does. You’re going to convince him to take the pills and then I’ll be gone.”

“Virgil!” Deceit moved forward and grabbed the other by the wrists. Virgil hissed and thrashed, trying to break free. When that didn’t work, he sank his teeth into Deceit’s arm.

Deceit yelped in pain, but held on.

“Virgil, listen to me! You’ve gotten too worked up over this!” He said. “Just listen! I am not going to let Thomas kill you! I’ll keep you safe!”

“Yeah, like you kept Morey and Pan safe!” Virgil shouted.

Deceit let go of him in shock. His expression became one of pain and sorrow. Virgil slowly felt the fire within him die, and it was replaced by guilt. That... that had crossed a line. True, he was worried about dying like his brothers, but... but it was wrong to blame Deceit.

“I...” he tried to speak. “I mean-”

“You’re right,” Deceit said. “I couldn’t save them. I didn’t know how to, and I didn’t know what to do. I was a fool for letting my guard down. But I know how to keep you safe, Virgil. If I have to whisper into Thomas’s ear every hour of every day, then I’ll do it. I’ll do everything I can to convince him that he has no need for pills. I won’t let you die like your brothers did, Virgil. I won’t.”

Virgil sniffled as he started to cry. The eyes on his hoodie vanished, and he looked like his old self again. With a sob, he threw himself into Deceit’s arms. The other side held him tightly and let him cry.

Underneath it all, Deceit thought about Virgil’s odd change. But he would worry about it later...


	121. Glasses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This idea popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone.

Logan noticed something about Remus.

Whenever he was reading or writing, he always held the book or paper at arm’s width. He never held anything up close, and always refused to get too close to the television. He claimed he liked to sit behind the couch because it fit his aesthetic, but Logan wasn’t so sure.

So he did what he always did: observed and experimented.

He watched Remus a bit closer, noticing similar events. When Remus measured ingredients for whatever he was cooking, he held the utensils away instead of up close.

One day, he decided to test something.

“Remus,” He said, holding up a book. “Could you read this for me, please?”

“Eh?” Remus looked up from fish he was currently disembowling on the kitchen table. He wiped the fish guts from his hands and moved to stand up. Logan walked over before he could and crowded him so that he couldn’t move.

“This,” Logan held the book up to Remus’s face. “This passage right here.”

Remus blinked and looked at the page. He tried to lean back, but he couldn’t lean much. He squinted slightly at the words.

“Um... well, it says... it says... um...” clearly he was struggling, and Logan slowly raised an eyebrow in interest.

“You know, I bet Roman could read it better,” Remus said quickly, grabbing the fish on the table. “I have to go see a guy about a thing, bye!” And then he sunk out.

Logan straightened up, tapping his fingers against the book in thought. Well, no better way than to just ask.

He ventured to Remus’s room and knocked on the door. Remus opened the door shortly after and flinched. 

“Oh Logan! Are your glasses broken? Roman’s door is down that way-”

“I came to see you,” Logan moved past him, not waiting for an invitation. He wanted answers now. Turning around, he saw Remus nervously close his door, looking as if he’d rather be anywhere but here. His hands were still stained with fish guts.

“I’m going to come right out and ask,” said Logan. “Remus, is your vision impaired?”

“What?” Remus gave a very forced laugh. “Impaired? Please, Logan. You’re the one wearing glasses.”

“And you’re the one holding things away from you so that you can see them better,” Logan countered. “You couldn’t read that passage, could you? Was it because it was too close for you to see?”

“To close to see,” Remus mocked. “Now you’re just being silly.”

“I’m not here to judge you, Remus,” Logan softened his tone. “It would be hypocritical of me to mock you for needing glasses when my own vision is hardly perfect. There is no shame, and I would prefer you to get a pair instead of struggling as I’ve observed you doing lately.”

Remus looked down at his feet and fidgeted with the sleeves of his tunic. He chewed his lip, seeming in thought.

“Promise you won’t tell anyone?” He asked softly. Logan blinked in surprise, but then gave a reassuring smile.

“I won’t,” he said. “I promise.”

Remus nodded and then slowly reached into a hidden pocket of his tunic. He pulled out... a pair of glasses.

These glasses had been made with care, Logan could tell. The frame was dark green and the side arms had been carved to look like octopus tentacles. The lenses were impeccably clean, probably the cleanest thing Remus owned.

Remus hesitated, but then he put the glasses on and looked up at Logan.

The logical side had to stifle a snort of laughter. Remus looked very different in glasses. Like someone playing dress up. The glasses did make him look a little less threatening.

“I look like a dork,” said Remus. “And not the whale penis kind.”

Logan walked closer and kissed Remus’s forehead.

“Falsehood,” he said. “You look adorable.”

Remus’s blush was greener than Logan had ever seen it.


	122. Marriage 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love this arranged marriage au, so I picked it up again. Prince Remus returns!

“Brother!” Prince Remus pulled Roman into a tight hug. Roman gave a forced smile and barely returned it. 

“Remus,” he said. “How wonderful for you to return. It’s been a while since you ran off with that scholar-”

“His name,” Remus broke the hug and narrowed his eyes at Roman, “is Logan. And he is my husband, so you will show him the proper respect.”

He then noticed Juke standing nearby and smiled once again.

“Ah, and who’s this radiant beauty?” He pressed a kiss to the back of Juke’s hand, bowing low to do so. Juke was somewhat surprised to hear no lie in Remus’s words. Then again, he’d heard that Roman’s twin was a bit... eccentric.

“No one,” said Roman. “He was brought here to marry me-”

“Ah, you lucky dog,” Remus said, once again interrupting his brother. “I recognize that sigil. Your family is well known for their intelligence. Lord knows Roman could use some.”

Juke found himself chuckling at Remus’s insult while Roman puffed up in anger.

King Thomas gathered them for a meal where Remus told them about his travels with Logan and he also apologized to Thomas for eloping.

“I’m sorry, Father. I thought you wouldn’t approve because he isn’t nobility. But I just love him so much,” Remus lovingly grabbed Logan’s hand and smiled. Logan sat next to him and his expression was so full of love.

Juke sighed, sitting across from them and next to Roman, who was ignoring him. He used to dream of habving someone look at him like that. Before he learned the nasty truth about the world...

“I understand, I’m just glad you’re home,” Thomas said. “And I approve of Logan wholeheartedly. He is a brilliant mind, and the people love him. I have no doubt that he will be a wonderful husband to you.”

“So what are your plans after this?” Roman asked. “Will you stay or are you going back to your traveling?”

“Well, we did have a lot of fun times in our travels and I was able to see and learn many new things, but Remus was feeling a bit homesick, so we decided to stay here for a while,” Logan said. “Your father’s letter sounded rather urgent.”

Roman froze, having forgotten that Thomas had sent a letter. How much had he said? Did Remus know the truth about Juke? Roman was hoping to keep it quiet so that he could send the other back to his home without anyone knowing that he had been betrothed to such a hideous person.

Thomas glanced at Roman before answering.

“Yes, well... there are some matters we need to discuss as a family after dinner. Remus and Roman... you will accompany me. Logan, if you would please entertain Juke in the libary.”

The tone he used clearly said there was no room for an argument.

And that was how, hours later, Roman found himself at the mercy of his brother.

“You really are an idiot, you know that right?” Remus cackled as he followed Roman down the hall. “You know that Father is serious about your little situation. But, I wouldn’t mind ruling as king if you throw it away so quickly-”

“You will not be king!” Roman snapped, grabbing Remus by the front of his dark tunic. “You are no king. You’re a disturbed, crude, lunatic of a man. Father can blow smoke all he wants, but I know he’d never give you the crown. There has to be someone else out there for me to marry. We just haven’t found them yet.”

“Oh,” Remus looked unfazed by Roman’s words. “So the baby’s throwing a tantrum, huh? Well... if you don’t like Juke then you won’t mind if I court him.”

“W-what?” Roman faltered, letting go of Remus and stepping back. “What do you mean? You’re already married-”

“Polygamy isn’t illegal,” Remus grinned. “And it’s been done in the past. If Logan likes Juke enough then I’ll announce a formal courtship. And if everything goes well, I’ll make Juke my second husband. Since you hate him so much, you won’t mind.”

“No!” Roman growled. “He’s almost as bad as you. He’s insulted me more times than I care to mention and his attitude makes me want to shove him off the nearest cliff.”

“Well, then it’s a good thing that I don’t give a rat’s ass about your opinion of him,” Remus shrugged. “I like him. And if Logan gives the ok, I’m going to court him. And you can’t stop me, brother.”

Roman was seething. He opened his mouth to retort, but Remus gave a dismissive wave and walked off.

“Get used to him,” he called over his shoulder. “I have a feeling that Logan’s going to say ‘yes’.”

Roman huffed. No way Juke would even let Remus court him.

Right?


	123. Corrupted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ever wonder what a corrupted Remus would be like?

For Remus, it was as if time had stopped.

Time had stopped, and so had everything else.

Deceit, his Mama, had faded away right before his very eyes.

The other sides had been there too. Roman, Patton, Logan, even Virgil. He had gone to them for help, carrying Deceit’s weak form with him, but they had all turned their backs. If Thomas wasn’t using Deceit, then that was a good thing. Lying was wrong. Deceit wasn’t needed.

Oh, what fools they were...

Remus had long since been holding his breath, unable to tear his face away from where Deceit had faded. Tears silently slipped down his face, and his eye began to twitch. His eyes rolled into the back of his head as he began to shake. Dimly... in the back of his mind... he heard an audible snap.

Roman nervously glanced at his brother. Remus had yet to say anything or even move from his spot. Patton looked concerned as well, and Logan had stepped back a few steps. He looked as if he were waiting for something.

“Remus?” Roman said. “Remus, it’ll be ok. We didn’t need him. Thomas will be just fine without him-”

**“Heheheheheheheh....”**

Roman felt a chill rush down his spine at the sound of Remus’s soft laughter. Virgil pulled his hood over his head and moved back as well. His eyes darted around, looking for the best exit.

**“Hahahahahahahaha....”**

Remus’s laughter was a bit louder this time, and the lights suddenly dimmed. A darkness seeping from Remus began to slowly spread and swallow the light. Virgil yelped and tried to run, but a large bramble of dark thorns sprouted from the floor and wrapped around him tightly. Virgil screamed and sobbed in pain as the thorns dug into his flesh.

Patton cried out and moved to help, but got the same treatment. Logan was wrapped up next, but Roman kept swinging his sword, chopping what he could. By now Remus’s laughter had gotten louder and was near deafening. He finally stood up...

“Remus, stop!” Roman shouted as a vine finally pulled his sword away. He struggled, thorns tearing at his clothes and drawing blood. “Remus!”

Remus slowly turned around, and Roman gasped in horror.

Remus’s eye was still twitching, and his mouth had stretched into a grotesque grin. His eyes were bright green, but bloodshot to the point that the tears were stained with it. His tunic shifted into a black and green straight jacket.

**“You took Deceit from me,”** Remus’s tone was harsher than any Tempest Tongue he’d ever used before. **“You took my mother from me. The only one who still loved me. You... you took him from me.”**

He giggled hysterically, approaching Roman and tightening his vines.

**“You... you took him. And now you’re all going to pay. I’m going... I’m going to hurt you. All of you! I’ll make you suffer.”**

“Remus,” Roman pleaded. “Remus, don’t. This isn’t you. You’re my brother. You wouldn’t! You’re Thomas’s creativ-”

He gagged when a vine was suddenly shoved into his mouth, instantly silencing him. Remus giggled again.

**“No, you’re wrong. This is very much who I am. Deceit was the one keeping me from becoming this, and you... you all killed him!”** Remus cackled, waving his arms and letting the sleeves of his new jacket flop around. **“You all tried to make Thomas better, but you made it so much worse!”**

He leaned closer to Roman, dripping blood onto him.

**“And I’m not Creativity anymore, brother. I have a new name now. It’s Insanity...”**


	124. Cafe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm surprised I haven't done a Human Sides restaurant AU yet. Lemme fix that.

Thomas rather liked this little... restaurant? Cafe? It was a small place with only two waiters that he could see, but something about it was so... warm and friendly. You sat yourself, and each table had its own menus. The menus were rather basic foods: sandwiches, chicken, burgers, some salads, soups, and pastas. But at the very bottom were two listings that made Thomas curious:

‘The Get Creative Special (Chef Red)  
The Get Creative Special (Chef Green)’

“Hello!”

Thomas looked up as a waiter stood at his table. The man was wearing glasses with a hoodie tied around his neck, and his smile was so warm, Thomas was reminded of a mother or father smiling at their child.

“Welcome to the Peace of Mind. My name’s Patton, and I’ll be your waiter today. Did you have any questions about the menu?”

“Hi Patton,” Thomas returned his smile. “Actually, I was looking at these specials. Can you tell me about them?” He pointing to the specials at the bottom of the menu.

“Oh yes!” said Patton. “See, we have two chefs in the back among our staff: Chef Red and Chef Green. What the special is, they’ll throw some ingredients together and create a mystery dish. Sometimes it’s a real dish with some variations, and sometimes it’s a completely original dish. Now, just be warned... Chef Green’s dish may look... kind of gross. But I assure you it’ll be perfectly edible and we’ve had very few complaints about taste for either one. But you will still be required to pay for it even if you don’t like it. So... it can be risky.”

He shrugged, still smiling. 

Thomas tapped his fingers on the table, weighing his options. He was curious about the specials. It sounded fun, and he was always up for adventures.

“I’ll take a special from both chefs,” Thomas said. “I can’t resist.”

“Ooh, they’ll be happy about that,” Patton scribbled on his notepad. “Now, are there any allergies or intolerances they need to know about?”

“None,” Thomas shook his head. “Tell them to go wild.”

“Ooh, Chef Green might just take you up on that,” Patton winked and walked away. Thomas smiled after him and sat back in his seat. This place was pretty cool. He’d definitely come back another time.


	125. Good

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So here's a pair I haven't really seen. Thought I'd try my hand at it. Let me know what you think. XD

Remus didn’t know what to do.

The only thing he knew was that he had a major crush on Patton. But it wasn’t his fault. Patton was just so... kind and sweet and loveable, and he always smelled like cookies or warm laundry. Who wouldn’t have a crush on him?

Remus knew he didn’t love Patton. Deceit had been quick to warn him to not mistake a crush for true love. You couldn’t love someone without knowing them.

Despite what Disney would have you believe...

And while Remus knew Patton, he didn’t _know_ Patton. So he was quick to keep his feelings check. No sense in planning a bouquet for flowers that hadn’t even bloomed yet.

He wished those flowers would bloom soon. Maybe then the butterflies in his stomach would have a place to land and leave him alone.

Patton been nice enough move Remus and Deceit’s rooms to the light side after Thomas had accepted them. This made Remus both happy and upset. Happy because he’d be closer to Patton. Upset because he’d be closer to Patton. At least in his old place, he could have some peace with his thoughts. Now, Patton was everywhere.

Today Patton was in the kitchen baking cookies. He was always baking to the point that the cookie jar on the counter never ran empty, but no one complained. Patton’s cookies were amazing.

Remus was at the table nearby, a black quill in his hand and a notebook full of parchment laid out in front of him. He was writing, but he’d wanted to write something nice for once. Something that Patton might like. But it was near impossible...

“Remus, are you ok?” Patton sounded concerned. “You’ve been staring off into space for a while now. Having trouble with your writing?”

Remus flinched, causing a black ink spot to splatter over his notebook. He fussed with it, licking it off the page until it was clean again. Patton chuckled at his antics.

“What are you writing about?” He asked. “Maybe I can help.”

Remus panicked. What could he say?

_A baby bird gets caught in a forest fire._

_A man mistakenly eats a dead rat._

_A woman is buried alive!_

No! What would Patton think? Remus had to think of something that Patton would like! But what? Remus couldn’t think of good things. That was Roman’s job!

“I... um... wh-what if Death... was a dog?!”

The hell? Where had that come from?

Remus looked at Patton for a reaction. Patton had a penisve expression, tilting his head so cutely.

“Hmm... Death as a dog?” He said. “Interesting! Well, I certainly wouldn’t be so scared if Death was a fluffy little dog. Oh! Maybe it’s a different dog for each person. That sounds really good, Remus. I like it.”

Remus felt relief flood his body as he quickly jotted the idea down.

“Thanks,” he said. “It just... it just came to me.”

Patton left soon after to check on the others and Remus let his head fall to the table with a thud. This was going to be so much harder than he’d thought.


	126. Ink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This idea came to me...

It was actually peaceful in the living room.

Logan was working on something on his laptop and Remus was busy writing in his notebook. Logan thought it strange that he used a quill instead of a regular pen, but then he supposed it fit with Remus’s aesthetic.

But stranger still was there was no ink pot to be seen. 

Remus worked with his tongue poking out in a ‘blep’, as Patton called it. Again, not an unusual action, but Remus was also constantly poking his tongue with the quill whenever the ink ran out... and then the quill would write perfectly again.

“How are you doing that?” Logan finally asked.

“Eh?” Remus looked up from his writing, quill halfway to his tongue. He finally pulled it in and lowered the quill, looking at Logan curiously.

“How are you writing without ink?” Logan asked. “And how does your tongue make the quill write?”

“Oh!” Remus grinned. “I keep forgetting you guys don’t know much about us. It’s simple, look.”

He set the quill down and poked his tongue out again. Logan watched as he squeezed it between two fingers and then... ink began to seep out of his tongue and drip onto the table below.

Logan’s eyes widened.

“You... produce your own ink?” He asked slowly.

“Well, yeah. What, you think my tentacles are just for show?” Remus cackled. “I have all kinds of other hidden talents, this is just one of them. Makes writing really easy since I don’t have to summon an inkpot like Roman does. But I can also do this, watch!”

Remus tensed his mouth for a moment and then spat a jet of black ink across the room. Logan stared, watching it stain and drip wherever it landed.

“Fascinating,” He moved closer to Remus and summoned some gloves. “May I see your tongue, please?”

“Sure,” Remus stuck it out again.

Logan had to take some samples to study...


	127. Ghibli

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First rule of any Ghibli movie: If you're not hungry by the time the movie is over, you didn't watch it close enough. Seriously, Ghibli food always makes my mouth water.

Roman pouted.

“I wanted to watch Disney,” he said.

The three other sides on the large couch glanced at him. Vixen narrowed his eyes and fiddled with the remote.

“You snooze, you lose,” he said. “We’ve already claimed the couch and the tv, so you’ve been dethroned. Besides, we don’t watch much Disney.”

“What?” Roman squawked. “Then what do you watch?”

“Studio Ghibli,” Devlin said. “You got your Walt, we got our Hayao.”

“I’ve... never seen a Ghibli movie,” Roman mused.

“What?” Devlin tugged Roman down on the couch. “Then watch with us. Tristan gets to choose.”

“Um... Howl’s Moving Castle, please?” Tristan was wrapped up in warm blankets, cuddled between Devlin and Vixen. Vixen smiled as he selected the movie, and they all settled down to watch.

Roman had to admit... the movie wasn’t that bad.

It had wizards, curses, wise cracking side characters, and damn if that food didn’t look good...

But even as he watched the movie, he stole glances at the other sides.

Tristan had managed a small smile, and even hummed along with the music at some parts. Vixen had smiled at him, so full of warmth and love, and Devlin had pulled Tristan even closer, smushing the little bean against his massive form.

Roman was surprised at it all. 

These were the dark sides. They represented all the negative traits. They should be constantly at each other’s throats, and yet... they acted like a very loving family. Hell, they acted as loving as their own famILY.

There was a part where Tristan began to cry softly. Vixen was quick to offer him a tissue and Devlin pressed a kiss against his hair. Tristan settled down quickly after that, smiling his small smile again.

Roman didn’t know why, but... he started crying too. Tears rolled down his face, and he sniffled softly. He felt like the character on screen who was crying fat globs of tears, and he didn’t know why.

He felt.... well, he didn’t know how he felt. He just needed to cry for some reason.

He was about to excuse himself when Devlin shifted. He wrapped his arm around Roman and pulled him close to his side. Roman stiffened at first, but then he relaxed. He felt safe. He felt warm. He felt...

Devlin’s hand came up to gently pet and stroke Roman’s hair, and Roman melted into the touch.

When the movie was over, Roman was asleep and cuddled against Devlin.


	128. Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tristan gives Roman some advice.
> 
> AN: I know that depression is a serious thing. I suffer from it myself and I know that not everyone can be helped with the same advice, but I wanted to share some of the ways I've helped myself feel better on my bad days.

Tristan ran his fingers through the white sand of the beach he sat on. The bright blue waves of the ocean crashed on the shore in front of him, and the sun felt nice on his skin. Roman had pulled him into the imagination when he’d heard that Tristan was having a less than steller day. He’d reasoned that if Tristan didn’t have the energy to do much, then he could sit in a better place.

“Ha,” Roman said, now dressed in a white tshirt and red swim trunks. “Bet you’ve never seen a beach like this.”

“Remus has a beach,” Tristan said. “But it’s dark and cold. I still like it, the Sea Empress is really nice. But this one is nice too. It’s very warm and sunny. Remus used to say he was sorry that he couldn’t make a nice beach like this...”

Roman briefly remembered something: a drawin of a bunny that wore a red ribbon around its neck. He guiltily shook his head and sat next to Tristan.

“So,” he said. “You get bad days often?”

“Not as often as I used to,” Tristan shrugged. “Juke helped me a lot. And Howl’s Moving Castle.”

“Huh?” Roman leaned back on his hands. “How so?”

“The movie was a book,” Tristan was now digging for shells in the sand. “The main character Sophie had magic. Her words had magic, but she didn’t think very much of herself. So every time she called herself ugly or said no one would want to marry her, she was cursing herself. Literally.”

He held up a pink shell and began to clean it off.

“So I began to think maybe I was doing the same thing. Whenever I said I would never get better or things would always be this way or that everything was pointless and I wasn’t needed... maybe I was cursing myself too.”

Roman tilted his head. That... actually made sense in some way.

“How do you deal with your bad days?” Tristan asked, still digging for shells. Roman flinched and put on a wide smile.

“I don’t get bad days-”

“You can’t lie to me,” Tristan said patiently. “I can hear your thoughts when you get sad. You think you’re a failure sometimes. You miss the days when you were a king.”

Roman’s smile fell and he sighed heavily. Of course. He should have known better that to try to lie to Thomas’s Sorrow.

“I don’t think you’re a failure,” said Tristan. “I think you’re doing what I used to do. Juke once told me how so many people are sad because they let other people tell them what happiness is and isn’t. They forgot that they can find happiness in anything. Even the small stuff. So they stop looking there and they only look for the happiness that’s hard to reach. Like... mansions and money and cars and fame.”

Roman’s eyes widened. What was it with these dark sides sounding so wise? Tristan had just said something that could have come from an old druid in a forest. A wise crone with mischevious glint in her eyes. A creature that had been there at the birth of the world...

Roman immediately conjured a notebook and began to scribble down Tristan’s words. They were too good not to.

“Uh-huh, keep going,” Roman said, waving his hand to prompt Tristan for more sage advice. Tristan was busy playing with a hermit crab to notice Roman writing.

“Well, that’s pretty much it,” Tristan gave a small smile as he poked at the crab’s little claws. “Juke helped me find the small happiness, and when I did, I forgot about the big happiness. And spoiler... small happiness feels just as good as big happiness. I mean, think... what small things make _you_ feel happy?”

Roman paused his writing as he thought about what Tristan said. There... well, there were a lot of things that made him happy.

“Being onstage,” he finally said. “Finishing a project. Hot tea on a rainy day. Patton’s waffles. Disney movies. Singing. Dancing. My kingdom.” He paused, suddenly realized that he could go on for near ever if he continued.

“See?” Tristan set the crab down and went back to admiring his shells. “So many things that make you happy are already within reach. They’re all around you all the time. Why be sad over the happiness you can’t reach?”

Damn, it never ended! Roman flipped to a fresh page and kept writing. This was good stuff.

“What are you doing?”

Roman paused and saw that Tristan had finally looked over at him. He gave a sheepish smile and set his notebook down.

“Just writing this down so that I don’t forget,” he said. “It’s very good advice. Thank you for telling me this. But... what makes you happy?”

Tristan blinked owlishly, obviously caught off guard by the question. He took a moment to think about his answer, tapping his nails against the shell in his hands.

“My family,” he finally said. “Warm hugs. Cuddles. Ghibli movies. Sunshine. Rain against windows. Flowers. Afternoon naps. Juke’s cooking. Umm... I got really happy when I found out that manatees aren’t endangered anymore. I like manatees.”

Roman chuckled. It was strange. Tristan was Thomas’s Sorrow. He suffered from his job quite a bit, and yet... he wanted nothing more than to help other people feel better. It was like he was indeed cursed, and he wanted to keep others from becoming cursed as well. It was... noble.

Very noble indeed...

Roman tapped his notebook in thought.

“We should do a video with you,” he finally said.

Tristan blinked again, tilting his head in confusion.

“Me?” He asked. “Why me? Thomas already has all you other guys to do videos.”

“Because I think it would help a lot of Fanders,” Roman continued. “Thomas has talked about anxiety and a few other things, but you could help him do a video about depression and being sad. These things you told me are very good things to share. You should tell all of our fans about this. I bet you would help some of them feel better.”

Tristan blushed, hunching into himself and looking at Roman shyly.

“You... you really think so?” He asked in a small voice.

“I know so,” Roman’s smile widened. “When we’re done here, we’ll go see him together. Don’t worry, I’ll have your back. Prince’s honor.” He held up three fingers and struck a noble pose. Tristan couldn’t help but laugh at him.

He was feeling much better than he had that morning...


	129. Pieces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some more Creative Twins angst, because why not?

“Remus?” Roman called as he looked around. “Remus, are you in here? Ugh... this place is like a maze...”

Roman was in Remus’s castle, looking for the other. The guards had said that he was in his room, but... Roman couldn’t remember how to get there. Maybe he should have had someone escort him.

Roman sighed and looked back and forth down the long hallway. Maybe he was up another floor. The room would be near the top, right? Roman walked up another flight of stairs and paused.

A door was slightly open nearby, light spilling out into the hallway. Roman stared at it, feeling... an urge? Something was telling him to go into that room. And Roman did just that.

He opened the door and stepped into the room. It was brightly lit, unlike Remus’s other rooms. It looked simple enough, but then...

Roman gasped.

A mannequin stood on the other side, graced with fancy curtains behind it and a tapestry that bore a familiar symbol. The mannequin was dressed in a white and red outfit that was complete with a grand black and green cape. A golden crown perched on the head.

It was Julius’s outfit.

“Roman?” Remus called in the distance. “Roman did you get lost again? How do you live in your own castle and still get lost in mine-”

Roman heard Remus stop. He was close by. He probably saw the door was open.

“Brother?” Remus said as he entered the room. He saw Roman staring at the outfit shifted nervously. “What’s got you so quiet?”

“How do you have this?” Roman asked, pointing to the outfit. “How do you have my old outfit?”

“HIS outfit,” Remus corrected. “Or if you want to use present tense, OUR outfit. And Patton gave it to me after you took all our other old belongings for yourself. He said I am still half of Julius so I should get to keep something of his.”

“No,” Roman shook his head. “No. I took my old belongings because I was worried you would ruin or destroy them in some way.”

“OUR old belongings,” Remus corrected again. “And obviously I didn’t ruin this. Look at it, it’s in pristine condition. I’ve been taking very good care of it-”

“You even have my old crown,” Roman enviously looked at the gleaming gold crown. “Why the HELL did Patton give you my old crown?”

“OUR old crown,” Remus huffed. “And Patton gave it to me because these were the only things you hadn’t already claimed. He said I deserved them-”

“And my old tapestry that used to hang over my bed...”

“OUR bed. Roman, you’re being ridiculous-”

“ShUT UP!” Roman roared. “It’s your fault we were split in the first place!”

The Split had always been a sore topic for him. To be cut in half, to lose so much potential, so much power, so much... Where would Thomas be now if Julius were still around? Would Thomas be even better than where he was now? An internationally famous actor? A millionare? So many dreams left unrealized.

All because of The Split.

“Roman, that’s not fair,” Remus sounded angry. “You know it was Patton who split us apart-”

“Because of your twisted and psychotic thoughts and ideas,” Roman snapped. “If it weren’t for that, we’d still be Julius.”

“Even Julius stood up for my ideas,” Remus growled. “He understood that having those ideas wasn’t evil and that it’s good to have a more well rounded creativity-”

“And look where that got me,” Roman shouted. “Half as great as I used to be! I can’t help Thomas as much as I once could! I’m his Creativity, it’s my job and I can’t even do it well! You don’t deserve to have any of this! It’s your fault Julius is gone!”

The room was suddenly swarmed with Remus’s guards, no doubt attracted to the shouting and fighting. They leveled their spears at Roman, looking at him with distrust.

“Your Grace,” the leader said. “Are you well?”

Roman finally noticed the tears in Remus’s eyes. But then Remus took a deep breath and drew himself into a straighter posture. He looked regal and deadly, every image of a dark king.

And he looked at Roman with such cold in his eyes that Roman could feel it.

“You want these trinkets?” Remus asked in a deadly tone. “Fine.”

He snapped his fingers and the tapestry and outfit vanished, replaced by a wooden chest.

“Take them,” Remus shoved the chest at Roman. “Add them to your collection of misery and woe. But no matter how many pieces of our past you collect... it won’t bring him back.”

He stepped away and turned to the leader of the guards.

“Have him escorted to our border. Make sure no harm comes to him. And let it be known that henceforth... Prince Roman of the Light Kingdom is no longer welcome here.”

He turned away to leave. The chest suddenly felt much heavier in Roman’s arms...


	130. Cafe 2

“Two specials!” Patton called as he neared the window to the kitchen. 

“Color?” Roman called, focused on some chicken he was grilling. His brother Remus was busy chopping potatoes at his station, and Virgil was putting together a salad at his.

“Both colors,” Patton smiled as he sat his submitted his tickets. “Try not to make a mess like last time.”

“Both colors?” Remus grinned, sounding excited. “Shall we have another competition, brother?” 

“We’re too busy this time,” Roman said, smiling back at him. “Maybe next time when we’re slower. Still, try not to do anything too weird.”

“You don’t know me at all, do you?” Remus walked past him to the fridge, already having a dish in mind.

Patton picked up the finished dishes after they’d been completed. They were both covered so that they’d have a better surprise element, but one was on a red plate while the other was on a green.

“Here we are!” Patton said, setting the plates on Thomas’s table. Thomas looked at the plates, tilting his head curiously.

“Well?” He sounded excited. “What did they make?”

“So first we have Chef Red,” Patton lifted the cover and read from the piece of paper that Roman had included. “Chef Red has prepared a... garlic roasted chicken breast topped with melted cotton candy, and maple glazed green beans and carrots.”

“Oh wow,” Thomas laughed. “How sweet of him.”

Patton couldn’t help but chuckle at the pun. He lifted the other cover, revealing the other dish.

“Chef Green has prepared... a fried squid sandwich with steamed white rice and pickles. Barbecue sauce on the side. And mint and rosemary french fries topped with melted swiss cheese.”

“Oh, that looks awesome,” Thomas pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the dishes. “Tell the chefs that these look amazing and I’m gonna have fun eating them.”

“Will do,” Patton nodded. “I’ll be by to check on you later, but you can get my attention if you need anything. Enjoy!”

Thomas looked between the two dishes, wondering which one to try first.


	131. Swap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love swap au's so I decided to make my own. I'm sure you can all figure out who is swapped with who and I will write more if you guys like it. Enjoy!

Remus happily hummed to himself as he pulled the cookies from the oven. He held the sleeves of his skunk hoodie out of the way to make sure they didn’t touch them, what with Virgil always being worried about germs.

Remus inhaled deeply, letting the scent of baked goodness wash over him.

“Hiya Remus!”

Remus blinked and looked over, seeing Patton pop up, wild eyes glimmering behind his cracked glasses.

“Patton,” Remus greeted him. “Did you smell them baking?”

“I always smell when someone’s baking,” Patton chuckled. “Did you add anything special to them? Butterfly wings, dog tails, horse snot?”

“No, just the recipe,” Remus shrugged. Patton looked disappointed.

“You never try my ideas,” he whined. “I’m telling you, they would really spice them up.”

He absentmindedly picked at a stain on his light blue tunic, one of many. Remus sighed, already sensing that Patton’s mood was plummeting. 

“Why don’t you go find Juke?” He suggested. “I hear he’s been needing some ideas, maybe you can help him.”

“My brother needs me?” Patton lit up with manic energy again. “Then I shall go help! See ya, Remus!”

He rushed off, and Remus sighed in relief. At least this time Patton left the cookies alone. Still, he would never get used to Patton’s... behaviors.


	132. Drawings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little Remus learns something about himself...

Remus was young, but he wasn’t stupid.

He knew that Roman was acting more and more distant from him. He could see fear in Roman’s eyes. And while Remus didn’t consider himself to be very scary, he didn’t want Roman scared of him.

And that was why he was busy at his desk in his room. He had conjured a whole stack of paper and a big box of crayons. He was going to draw Roman a nice little picture like the ones that Thomas would draw during class.

It was easy.

A yellow sun in the corner. Some green grass. Some flowers. Yes, this was good. A dog. A castle. Roman on fire. Some birds in the sky-

Wait, what?

Remus shook his head, now noticing that he’d drawn Roman on fire. No, that was wrong. Patton said those drawings were bad. This drawing would just scare Roman more.

Remus sighed as he crumpled the paper and tossed it aside. He selected a clean sheet and tried again.

Maybe something different.

Roman on a ship. There’s the sun. Add some blue waves. Some little fish. A kraken wrapped around the ship and pulling it down into a watery grave-

Huh?!

Remus again shook his head and then shook his hand for good measure. What was he doing wrong? Why couldn’t he just draw a normal picture?

Remus huffed in frustration and crumpled this drawing up as well.

Remus continued, sheet after sheet, to draw something nice for Roman. But no matter how hard he tried or how nice the picture started out, it inevitably ended with something horrific on the page. And all seemingly beyond Remus’s control.

Remus slowed down and started paying more attention to his drawings. But even as he slowly drew and told himself what he was going to draw, his hand would either freeze completely or disobey and draw something else.

Remus growled, once again shaking out his hand. He then slapped himself on the cheeks a few times as if trying to shake his mind out as well. He just wasn’t trying hard enough. He was part of creativity! He could draw a simple picture. He just needed to try harder...

Remus tried harder and harder until his crayons were moving at a snail’s pace. But once again his hand either froze or disobeyed. Remus tossed aside another crumpled drawing and reached for another sheet of paper.

But there was nothing there.

Remus’s eeys widened as he realized that he had gone through the whole stack of paper he’d conjured. Every single one of them...

And none of the drawings were good...

Remus blinked he stared at his hands. Why couldn’t he create something good? Why couldn’t he do something as simple as a drawing? Roman made those drawings by the dozen! Why couldn’t he?

Breathing heavily and feeling lost and confused, Remus began to cry. He hunched over his desk and sobbed into his hands, a phantom pain throbbing in his chest.

No, it was his heart...

Remus wanted his brother. He wanted his brother so badly...

In the living room, Tristan suddenly gasped from his nest of blankets on the couch.

“Tristan?” Deceit asked, looking concerned. “Are you ok?”

Tristan was silent as tears slid down his cheeks. He wilted under the feelings he was experiencing.

“Remus needs you,” he said softly, turning to look at Deceit. “He needs you right now.”


	133. Stickers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More of everyone's favorite little cinnamon roll...

“You get a sticker. You get a sticker. You get a sticker...”

Roman looked up from where he’d been writing in his notebook. He was sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of tea long since gone cold. Tristan had wandered in, long sleeves rolled up so that he could use his hands, and was pressing stickers to things. The sheet he held was nearly used up of the little grey circles.

“And you get a sticker,” Tristan pressed one to the coffee pot. “You work so hard for us all. Thank you.” He pat the top of the machine and looked around for more places for his stickers.

“What are you doing?” Roman asked. Tristan whirled around and smiled.

“It’s from a podcast I listen to,” he said. “One of the characters mentions a day where you put stickers on things you like. Dr. Picani said it sounded like a great idea and I should put stickers on things I like or things that make me happy. Because when you’re sad, it can be hard to remember what those things are.”

Roman curiously got up and looked at what Tristan had put stickers on.

“The toaster?” He asked. “Really?”

“Toaster makes toast,” said Tristan. “I like toast. Toaster gets sticker.”

Roman couldn’t argue with that. Tristan had also put stickers on the couch, namely his cuddle spot, the tv, some movies, some blankets...

“And you definitely get a sticker. Thanks for all you’ve done for me.”

Roman looked over in time to see Tristan press a sticker to a tub of ice cream. Tristan then closed the freezer door and looked around again. HIs eyes landed on Roman, and he blushed slightly. Slowly, he walked over and pressed a sticker to Roman’s cheek.

“You get a sticker too. Thanks for... for hanging out with me lately. I know I’m not... the best company,” he said slowly. 

Roman wondered if this is how Cinderella felt when Charming slid that glass slipper onto her foot. How Arthur felt when he pulled out Excalibur. How Hercules felt when became a hero...

“You know, this does sound like fun,” Roman finally said. “Could I have some stickers?”

“Sure!” Tristan beamed and conjured a sheet of stickers that resembled Roman’s logo. He handed Roman the sheet, cheeks still painted a little grey from his blush.

Roman wasted no time in peeling off a sticker and pressing it to Tristan’s forehead.

“You get sticker too,” he smiled. “I enjoy hanging out with you.”

Tristan’s eyes widened as he blushed a deep dark grey. He covered his face with the sleeves of his sweater and hunched over. Roman chuckled slightly as he moved on to add a sticker somewhere else.

He would definitely have to do this again...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like these stories, please comment. I also take requests if anyone is interested in suggesting any prompts or scenarios. Also, if anyone wants to make fanart or share the links for these fics, you are all welcome to do so. I also have a tumblr blog that you can come hang out on at beautiful-doom.tumblr.com


	134. Monsters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now for some Big Brother Remus. I can't believe I don't have many interactions between little Virgil and little Remus.

Virgil shouldn’t still be afraid of monsters.

He could be forgiven, considering his young age, but he always tried to be brave. Just because he was Thomas’s anxiety didn’t mean he had to be scared all the time.

The room was dark, his nightlight had broken and gone out. He was too scared to move from his bed or call out to Deceit or Devlin or anyone who might help him.

Virgil just knew there was a monster under his bed. It was waiting for him to put his feet down so that it could drag him under and eat him. But Virgil wouldn’t let that happen. He’d stay on top of his bed, clutching the snake plush Deceit had gifted him.

Virgil’s breathing hitched as he heard his door creak open. He pulled the covers up to his chin, seeing a pair of glowing green eyes watching him. The eyes slowly got closer, and Virgil opened his mouth to scream.

A bright green light suddenly flashed, revealing... Remus holding some kind of lantern. Remus looked Virgil over and gasped.

“Oh no! They replaced Virgil with a Chihuahua!”

“I’m not a Chihuahua,” VIrgil said, calming down slightly as he sat up. No monster would take Remus away. At least, no monster that had even an ounce of intelligence would.

“You’re shaking like one,” Remus set the lantern on the bed and sat down next to it. “What’s wrong?”

Virgil gave another uneasy look at the floor, peering over the edge of his bed. He could tell Remus, right? Remus was a little older than him, and he had experience with monsters...

“There’s a monster under my bed,” Virgil whispered. Remus blinked owlishly.

He would have laughed it wasn’t Virgil. But Virgil was his baby brother, and as a big brother, he knew better. Ah, he was a big brother now, wasn’t he? No longer the baby himself. But what could he do? All the reassuring and comforting stuff wasn’t a skill he had. He could only do the gruesome stuff.

Hmm... maybe he just had to be creative.

“Oh, Mama hasn’t told you?” Remus grinned. “About the monster under your bed?”

Virgil’s eyes widened in fear.

“The monster... that’s there to protect you,” Remus said.

“Huh?” Virgil tilted his head in confusion. A monster that was there to protect him?

“Yeah!” Remus decided to keep the creative streak going. “Whenever a baby is born, the parents go out and buy a baby monster and put it under the baby’s crib. As the baby grows up, so does the monster, and they keep it under the baby’s new beds. The monster is there to keep the baby safe from bad people or other monsters, and it eats all the dust and dirt under the bed to keep it clean. And when the baby becomes an adult, the monster leaves.”

Remus glanced around the room.

“Or sometimes they’ll put the monster in the baby’s closet. Either way, Mama brought in a monster for you when you came here and put it under your bed. So you’re totally safe right now. I even have one under my bed.”

“What does the monster look like?” Virgil again looked over the edge of his bed.

“Whatever you want it to look like,” said Remus. “It’s magical like that. Mine looks like Cthulhu.”

“What’s a ‘Cthulhu’?” Virgil asked, now much calmer than before.

“I’ll show you in the morning, it’s in Mama’s books,” Remus said. “Now go to sleep. You get cranky when you don’t get your baby sleep.”

“I’m not a baby,” Virgil pouted. He glanced at Remus’s lantern. “Um... can you leave the light, though? My nightlight broke...”

“Sure,” Remus set the lantern next to the nightlight on Virgil’s dresser. “I’ll still be awake if you need me, so you just call. Night, Virgil.”

“Night, Remus,” Virgil settled back down under the blankets and sighed. 

Maybe it wasn’t so bad to have a monster under his bed...


	135. Good 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus tries to give his crush a gift...
> 
> Also, if you guys are interested, I posted pictures that I edited to look lik Tristan and Vixen. You can view them on my tumblr blog at beautiful-doom.tumblr.com or right here:  
https://beautiful-doom.tumblr.com/post/611723611190984704/i-got-a-cool-makeup-app-and-used-it-to-create-a  
https://beautiful-doom.tumblr.com/post/611711579014168576/behold-the-presh-sad-boi-tristan-from-my-story

“Hey Patton? I... I have something for you.”

“For me?” Patton turned around and smiled at Remus. “Oh, you didn’t have to! What is it?”

“Um...” Remus fidgeted, hands behind his back, clearly hiding something. “Well... I know you really like cats, but you’re allergic. But I found this cat in my imagination and I thought you might take care of it since... since I’m not very good at it.”

“Oh, I’d love to, but I really am allergic,” Patton said. “Maybe someone else can-”

But then Remus showed Patton what he had been hiding. It was a cat, but this cat was slightly transparent and had an ethereal glow. It wasn’t a cat, but more the ghost of one. Still, this cat purred and looked comfortable in Remus’s arms. 

Remus set the cat on the counter and the cat began to lick itself, still purring.

“Um... I know it’s not exactly a good thing, but ghosts need love too, r-right?” Remus chuckled nervously. “Um... if you don’t... if she scares you I can take her back.”

“Oh, she’s beautiful!” Patton lit up and reached out to pet the cat’s back. It was strange, he could almost feel the cat’s fur. The cat butt her head against Patton’s hand and rubbed against it. Patton squealed at how cute the cat was.

“Thank you, Remus! I really do love cats, but I never get to pet or play with them. With her, I won’t have to worry about my allergies,” he said. “What’s her name?”

“Well, she doesn’t have one,” Remus gave an internal sigh of relief. He hadn’t bothered naming the cat when he had created it.

“Oh, well that won’t do,” Patton mused. “Hmm... oh! I’ll name her Specter. It fits so well!” He began to pet the cat with both hands, and it was impossible to determine who was happier, him or the cat. 

“I... I’m really glad you like her,” Remus smiled.

“I love her,” Patton smiled again. “Thank you for letting me have her, Remus.”

Remus’s cheeks dusted with green as he fought to contain his blush.


	136. Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tristan tells Roman a secret

“Did you know the original Creativity?”

“King Julius?” Tristan nodded. “I did.”

Roman shifted slightly, watching Tristan as he weaved flowers into a crown. He’d invited Tristan into his part of the imagination again. They’d chosedn a lovely meadow to sit down, and Tristan had wanted to make a flower crown.

“What was he like?” Roman asked. “I... I don’t really have any memories from when I was him.”

Tristan paused for a moment, thinking back on what he remembered. It had been so long ago...

“He was very nice,” Tristan finally said. “He didn’t believe in the whole light sides and dark sides thing. He belived we were all important to Thomas. He even let us into his kingdom sometimes. I used to love to watch the fish in the northern river. They were so pretty! He even let me take one home with me. But it died when he split. The whole imagination faded and became two realms instead of one. And after that I only went to Remus’s kingdom...”

“Why didn’t you ask me?” Roman asked. “If Julius let you into his kingdom-”

“But it wasn’t Julius’s kingdom,” said Tristan. “It’s yours now. It... It didn’t feel right to ask a child and unload all those emotions on you at such an age. So I... I just visited Remus. Plus, you light sides didn’t like us much after that.”

Roman sighed, feeling guilty. He’d let fear and pride cloud his judgement even though the king he’d been had been so accepting. He’d have to work on that. Perhaps he could draw up trade routes or alliances with Remus’s kingdom.

“I never blamed you,” Tristan said. “Sorrow and anger and all the other things can be scary. People get depressed, they get angry, they get selfish... and then they do bad things. I... I know Patton was only doing what he thought was best, misguided as it was. I... I just wish h-he...”

Roman looked over in concern, seeing tears welling up in Tristan’s eyes. His hands were shaking, holding the bundle of flowers. Roman put a hand on Tristan’s shoulder and moved closer, trying to comfort the other.

“You did nothing wrong!” He said. “It was our fault. We just-”

“It wasn’t you,” Tristan shook his head. “It was... I was...”

“What’s wrong?” Roman asked gently. “What happened?”

Tristan sniffled and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater. He seemed to be debating on what to say.

“You get sad about being half of a whole,” said Tristan. “You get sad because you think you can never be as great as you once were. And... I know how that feels. To be something that was broken off of something greater. But I’m not a half like you. I’m less. I’m...”

“What do you mean?” Roman asked. “What did you split from?”

Tristan finally looked up. He looked so lost and so sad about something. Roman knew that feeling. In his past he’d often felt lost. He’d felt as though something were missing. But he’d always been able to shove those feeling aside.

Or so he thought.

Obviousluy Tristan had been the one to feel them too.

“I... I was... I was broken from... f-from... I was broken from Patton!” Tristan shouted the last bit, adopting Virgil’s method of ripping it off like a bandaid. Roman reeled back in shock. Patton?! Tristan had been born from Patton?!

“Patton?!” Roman repeated. Tristan looked confused.

“Did... did he never tell you?” He asked. “Oh... I’m sorry. He must not have wanted you to know...”

“He should have told us!” Roman said. “I can’t believe he sent you to live with the others!”

“I’m sure he had a reason,” Tristan curled slightly into himself. “I mean... sadness is really hard to deal with-”

“No excuse!” Roman shook his head. “I cannot believe he would just leave you with the others like that. I need to talk to him-”

**“DON’T!”**

Roman looked up in shock as Tristan grabbed his arm, dropping the flowers on the ground. It began to rain as they sat there, Tristan giving a pleading expression.

“It... it wasn’t my secret to tell,” he said. “I shouldn’t have told you, and I’m sorry. I just... I thought all of you had known already. But please don’t tell him I told you. I’m sure he’ll tell you when he’s ready. Please don’t make him sad because of me...”

Tristan sounded as if he were pleading for his life. He shook Roman’s arm, and the rain fell harder. Roman knew it wasn’t right to let this be a secret any longer. Patton needed to be confronted, there needed to be justice, there needed to be... to be...

But Tristan looked so sad. He really wanted Roman to stay silent.

It wasn’t the right thing to do... but Roman would do it anyway.

Roman sighed and pulled Tristan into a hug, rubbing his back as the other cried again.

“I won’t say anything,” he said. “You have my word as a prince.”

“Thank you,” Tristan sniffled. “You’re such a good friend...”

That praise was far greater than any acting award Thomas had ever gotten...


	137. Fountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I decided to write more Tristan and Roman since you guys like them together so much...

“Come on, slowpoke! It’s this way!”

Roman wheezed as Tristan chuckled at him. They’d been walking for a good while, and it was starting to wear on him. His royal clothes were not the best for long distance walking, but he’d been too stubborn to change. If their journey was successful, he would want to be wearing them.

It was Tristan who had mentioned how The Original Creativity had a fountain of himself, and Roman wanted nothing more than to see it. The only problem was, with the way the Imagination had warped and changed, it was a little difficult to find it again.

But Tristan had kindly offered to help.

Going by his previous memories, Tristan was able to narrow down the location. A forest had grown over it, and they were now wandering through it. Tristan had yet to break a sweat, even though he was still wearing his usual grey sweater, sleeves so long they went past his hands.

“I don’t understand,” Roman panted. “How do you have this stamina?”

“Crying is very good cardio,” Tristan shrugged. Roman blinked. Had that been a joke?

“Besides, I don’t think it’s much further,” Tristan looked around. “Everything’s changed so much. This used to be a park. Julius’s subjects would come here to play or relax. And they had dogs! So many dogs!”

He looked around again before pointing through some trees.

“Come on, this way!”

Roman followed, eager to see if this fountain had survived. Tristan had told him that the Imagination had vanished when Julius had split, and it had changed when Remus and Roman took control. But... maybe a few things had survived. Roman had asked Remus to see if there was anything in his kingdom that he didn’t remember creating, but Remus hadn’t reported anything back yet...

“There!”

Roman looked up and gasped. It was the fountain! It really had survived!

The fountain was in bad shape, dirty and full of vines and debris, but the statue still stood tall. The statue was of King Julius in his royal finery. In one hand he held a massive shield. In the other hand, a sword. 

“There used to be ducks here,” Tristan said, looking into the empty basin that once held water. “Sometimes geese. But this is it!”

He smiled and moved back so that Roman could get a closer look. The prince silently moved until his hands were resting on the ledge of the basin. King Julius looked proud, towering over his domain and holding the tools to defend it with. Roman pulled out his own sword, but it didn’t compare to the magnificence that Julius held.

“Your sword is different,” Tristan looked between the two swords. “That’s not Julius’s sword. Did you create it yourself? I’ve always wondered why it looks like that. Isn’t that a samurai sword?”

“Yeah, Thomas went through an anime phase when he was younger,” said Roman. “I got so used to it, that I just never changed it. But I could never find Julius’s sword.”

“Oh,” Tristan’s eyes widened. “Is that why Remus has shuriken? That makes so much sense. But I thought you at least would have Julius’s shield. I mean... that’s what your insignia is.”

“Huh?” Roman looked over at him in confusion.

“Your insignia,” Tristan tugged on Roman’s sleeve. “It’s shaped like a shield. Like Julius’s shield. You never noticed? I mean, I guess Remus’s insignia is more obvious. His is shaped like Julius’s sword...”

Roman gaped as he looked between his sleeve and the shield Julius was holding. Tristan was right! It was shaped exactly the same. But in his defense, he hadn’t known Julius to possess a shield...

But... maybe the shield had survived as well? Maybe it was hidden somewhere or just lost after the split. Maybe Roman could find it again...

“It’s sad to see it this way,” Tristan was looking into the basin again. “It used to be so pretty...”

“I’m taking it.”

“Huh?” Tristan looked up to see Roman tapping his chin in thought.

“I’m taking it,” said Roman. “I’ll have it restored and placed somewhere where people can enjoy it. Just like Julius wanted it. And then... I’m going to look for his shield. If it survived the split, then I want to find it again. The sword too.”

“Ooh, an adventure!” Tristan excitedly clapped his hands. “Sounds fun. You’ll have to tell me all about it!”

“I won’t because I want you to come with me,” Roman smiled. He took Tristan’s hands in his. “You led me here to this piece of forgotten history. I would very much enjoy and appreciate if you would help me find other forgotten pieces. You are a wonderful companion for this journey and I can think of no one else better. Will you join me?”

Tristan was blushing so darkly, it matched the marble of the statue. He turned away and whined, covering his face with his hands, sleeves flapping. Roman laughed, happy that he could still make Tristan blush.


	138. Pluto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm on a Tristan binge. I love writing him. XD

Logan looked up when he heard someone enter his room. He’d been expecting this Side.

“Um... hello,” Tristan nervously fidgeted with his sleeves. “Dr. Picani said you were willing to let me read some of your books?”

Logan knew of this side. Tristan was Thomas’s sadness, and it showed. Tristan’s attire always looked drab and washed out. Logan speculated that perhaps Tristan was colorblind, but he hadn’t been able to test that yet.

Either way, he wasn’t one to stand in the way of someone who wanted to read.

“You may borrow up to three books at a time,” Logan pulled out a notebook. “I will record the books you take in this notebook and you will sign beneath it. I expect them to be returned in the same condition they were issued in.”

Tristan nodded. “Yes, Sir.”

Logan gestured to the bookcases along the wall, and Tristan walked over to browse.

The first books Tristan borrowed were all about mental health and the human brain. Specifically, books geared towards dealing with depression. Thomas had learned these things in school, but had never really had use for the information. Still, Logan had kept it stored away for future use.

Tristan never objected to signing his name or Logan examining every book he brought back. Logan had expected him to, having had to deal with objections from the others. And Tristan always brought the books back in good shape. Not so much as a single page bent or stained.

Over time, his choices shifted to fictional books. The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Goosebumps, His Dark Materials. Logan had become more relaxed around Tristan, and Tristan had relaxed as well. He no longer stuttered or curled into himself when in Logan’s room, and Logan had actually seen him smile more than once.

Logan had even started asking Tristan about the books he was reading. It was like offering a starving dog a juicy steak, the way Tristan reacted. He happily dumped all his opinions and thoughts onto Logan, sometimes barely pausing for breath. Logan had worried that perhaps the Dark Sides had been ignoring him, but Tristan was quick to assure him that they weren’t. Tristan just liked talking about the things he liked in general.

Logan even began to enjoy Tristan’s company. Tristan wasn’t as bright as Logan was, so nearly every oppurtunity was a learning oppurtunity. Logan would share some knowledge he’d learned, and Tristan would always eagerly listen, eyes full of awe and wonder. It was a nice change for Logan, and he loved it.

“So there might be other planets out there?” Tristan asked, looking though a book on the Solar System. “What about aliens? Could there be aliens out there too?”

“It’s... a distinct possibility,” Logan said. “While we have no proof that aliens exist, it would be bad to automatically assume that we are the only beings in this universe.”

“Oh... what if they’re all alone?” Tristan said. “What if they’re waiting for contact too?”

“Then perhaps one day we will successfully contact them,” Logan mused. “And then we may be able to learn from them.”

“So much to learn,” Tristan closed the book and set it back on the shelf. “Hopefully we’ll use that knowledge well.” He was silent for a moment. “Do you have books on stars? Vixie says I remind him of the stars and I want to learn about them. And then I was thinking how the others remind me of things in space. Like you... you remind me of Pluto.”

“Pluto?” Logan raised an eyebrow. “Why is that? Because I’m small and cold?” He bristled slightly. He’d always been called cold because of his lack of emotions. It had always been used as an insult or concern.

“Because some people think Pluto is not a planet,” said Tristan. “That it’s not important enough to be a planet and should be ignored.”

Logan froze, eyes widening. That... that was remarkably deep.

“But not me,” Tristan pulled out a book and beamed at Logan. “I like Pluto.”

Logan held his breath as he felt his cheeks burn and blush.


	139. Protective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tristan's family really love him...

Roman had bears in his realm. Sure, they were mostly docile, but Roman had run across a protective mama bear here and there. He’d faced them down when they reared on him to protect their family. Of course he’d managed to get away, so this shouldn’t have been much different.

But then again, he’d never faced down a protective mama bear with an equally protective wolf, fox, and octopus surrounding him.

“Et tu, Remus?” He said, glancing at his brother. Remus shrugged,

“Sorry, Roman. Bros before hoes.” He then went back into his battle stance, gripping his morningstar tightly. Vixen and Devlin stood on either side of him, and in front of Roman was the Mama Bear himself.

Deceit. He had all six arms out, both eyes were glowing, and he did not look happy...

“A darling grey dove told me that you’ve been hanging out with him quite a lot lately,” Deceit’s tone was calm for now, but Roman knew to tread carefully. “What are your intentions with our Tristan?”

“I don’t have any,” Roman rolled his eyes. “We’re just friends. He remembers the Original Creativity and he’s been telling me about him. And anyway, he likes the forests and the sunshine in my realm, so I’ve been letting him stay there when he wants to. Nothing else!”

Deceit’s eyes narrowed, growing so piercing that Roman almost felt as if Deceit were staring into his very soul.

“You’re telling the truth,” he finally said.

“He may not have feelings now, but he’s the epitome of romance,” said Vixen. “He might develop feelings later...”

“Best to nip this in the bud,” Remus grinned and made snipping motions with his fingers.

“I dunno,” Devlin mused. “We’ve all seen that Tristan has been improving ever since they started hanging out. If we end things now, Tristan could relapse.”

“Huh?” Roman looked at Devlin with a shocked expression. Devlin had never liked Roman all that much because of his attitude and personality. He was surprised the other was sticking up for him now.

“Our concerns are that you will end up hurting Tristan,” Deceit said, folding his lower two sets of arms. “Surely you can understand.”

“I would never hurt Tristan!” Roman said.

“You would never_ intenionally_ hurt him,” Deceit corrected. “But you’re not the most tactful Side Thomas has, and you have no idea what depression and sorrow really is. Your mind is full of cotton candy and dust balls with all those Disney movies you watch. All it takes is for you to say or do the wrong thing to hurt him. I don’t like having that chance in the air.”

Roman glanced at everyone, feeling annoyed that he was put on the spot like this. He opened his mouth to argue, but then he closed it. They weren’t doing this to ridicule him. They were doing this because they loved and cared about Tristan. Roman could understand that. He would have done the same.

“I... I get what you mean,” he finally said. “I don’t want to hurt Tristan, accidentally or not. But... but I don’t think leaving him alone will help anything. He likes my realm. He likes talking to me. And I... I like talking to him too. But you’re right, I don’t understand depression or sadness. That’s why... that’s why I’m going to learn.”

The other sides reacted in surprise. Roman was willing to voluntarily learn something? And something not to do with fantasy or romance?

“I’ll talk to Logan or Dr. Picani, I’ll read books, I’ll do what I have to do,” Roman gave Deceit a determined look. “I won’t risk hurting Tristan. I give my word as a prince.”

Deceit looked at Roman for a while, seeing if he would wilt and recant his words, but he didn’t. Deceit then nodded and looked at the others.

“Any objections to this arrangement?” He asked. The other sides thought for a moment, then they shook their heads. Remus lowered his morningstar and Vixen actually smiled.

“Very well,” Deceit vanished his extra arms. “We will hold you to this arrangement and we will allow you to continue your interactions with Tristan. But know this, Roman... if you do end up hurting him... there will be no cave nor hole nor tower that will hide or protect you from us. Do you understand?”

Roman shivered, but he nodded.


	140. Examination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan's scientific curiosity gets the better of him.

“Thank you for agreeing to this test,” Logan said as he scribbled on his clipboard. He was sitting on a stool in an office that Roman had created for them. A doctor’s office, to be exact. Tristan was sitting in front of him on the patient bed.

“No problem,” Tristan smiled. “Always happy to help.”

“We won’t be doing anything too invasive,” Logan assured him. “Just some standard tests to see if there are any major differences or similarities between you and Patton. I did the same tests with Roman and Remus.”

Tristan frowned, thinking of how much Remus hated hospitals and doctors. 

“Well, that can’t have been a fun day.”

“It wasn’t,” Logan agreed, turning on a recorder. “Now, please state your name and function for the record.”

“Um... Tristan. I’m Thomas’s sadness...” Tristan raised his voice only slightly so that the microphone would pick it up.

“Wonderful,” Logan smiled. “And you said that you were created from Patton?”

“Yeah,” Tristan nodded. “I mean, it’s kind of fuzzy, but I remember sort of floating in a void and then I woke up on Patton’s desk and then he came in later and... well, I was sent to live with the others.”

“Let’s change the subject,” Logan said, noticing how Tristan was wilting. “Do you like cats?”

“I do, but I like dogs better.”

“Interesting. What’s your favorite breed?”

“Cloud doggos!” Tristan beamed. He noticed Logan’s confusion. “Samoyeds.”

“And do you like cookies?”

“I like brownies more,” said Tristan. “Escpecially with ice cream on top. Ooh... and when the brownie is still hot so the ice cream starts melting and you get this delicious hot and cold goodness. Vixie said it’s called a brownie supreme and...” he was rambling, but Logan didn’t stop him.

“So what do you do after a long day when you need to unwind?”

“Eat,” said Tristan. “I love food! My favorite is when the others cook. Vixie makes these amazing shredded beef tacos and the shell is just the right amount of crunch and doesnt fall apart. And Devlin makes these slow cooked barbecue ribs with this delicious sweet barbecue sauce and the meat just falls off the bone and melts in your mouth. And Deceit makes this pot roast with this red wine and mushroom gravy and it’s so good! And Remus makes really good nachos and he’s nice enough to put some aside before he adds the spicy stuff because he knows I don’t like spicy foods...” he was rambling again.

“Interesting,” Logan mused when Tristan finally paused for a breath, looking as if his mouth was watering. “So you like to eat food that have a lot of work put into them. Dare I say it... you like to eat food that is made with love, so to speak.”

“I guess so,” Tristan said. “But it’s so good! I’ll bring you some next time they cook, you have to try it!”

“That’s very kind of you,” Logan said. He set his clipboard aside and began to do the physical tests. Tristan’s reflexes were fine, his vision and hearing were about average. At least they were until Tristan mentioned offhand that he had the ability to see clearly in the dark. Logan had been hesitant to believe him, but Tristan had proven the truth by taking the vision test after turning the lights off.

“Amazing,” Logan examined Tristan’s eyes. They looked like normal eyes. Tristan smiled and blushed at Logan’s close proximity. Logan then sat back down and began writing on his clipboard.

“Back to what you mentioned earlier, you said you like to eat to unwind after a long day. Are you worried that may not be the healthiest coping mechanism?”

“It’s the healthiest of the unhealthy,” Tristan pointed out. “I thought it was just a silly stereotype. You know, in the movies the lady gets dumped and then it shows her eating chocolate or ice cream. But then I got really sad and... well, it does kind of help. But then the ice cream is gone and you feel guilty because you just ate all that ice cream. You know, Remus taught me that the Germans have a word for it: Kummerspeck. It literally means ‘bacon grief’, but it’s used to describe emotional overeating.”

“I see,” Logan nodded. “Next question, do you know where babies come from?”

“Yeah, Vixie taught me,” said Tristan. “it’s when a man and a woman have sex and then-”

“Thank you, that’s enough,” Logan was surprised that Tristan could be so easily taught. He’d been trying to teach Patton about the figurative birds and the bees for years, but Patton still swore babies were delivered by storks...

“One last question,” Logan said, adding this one on out of pure curiosity. “Name the process of becoming an adult.”

“Adolescence,” Tristan proudly stated.

Logan stared.

“Vixie taught me that one too.”


	141. Cozy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now... the moment you've all been waiting for.

Tristan loved his new windows. Especially on days like this. 

It was raining outside his windows, but he was inside his room. He’d bundled in a blanket and fixed himself a hot cup of tea. The mug was warming his hands while he clutched it. Mimi the Manatee was sitting in his lap.

All was good.

He’d woken up that morning with a room full of sunshine and birds chirping in the branches outside. He could swear he remembered those birds from the imagination when King Julius reigned. Perhaps it was those same birds. It just made him feel all the fuzzier.

He was grateful for this new room. True, he still had bad days, but the sanctuary of his room felt better now. More light, more space, more sound. He didn’t feel as isolated or alone. He could sit in the window seat and watch the birds and world outside.

Some of them had even started coming up to his window ledge to eat bits of food that he left out for them. Maybe one of them would build a nest and lay eggs. So many possibilities...

Tristan sipped his tea, smiling at the rain outside. The gentle sounds of pattering against the window made him feel so cozy. He wanted to fall asleep to it, but then he didn’t want to lose any time to watch the rain or drink his tea. Maybe it would rain one night and he could fall asleep to that.

For now, he was going to enjoy the cozy feeling...


	142. Sorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That sure is a precious boi you got there. It'd be a shame if someone... PUSHED HIM DOWN AN ANGST HILL!
> 
> WARNINGS FOR DEPRESSION AND IMPLIED SUICIDAL THOUGHTS.

His first few months had been awful.

He was crying when Deceit opened the door, and he tearfully told him that he had to live with him and the others now. Deceit had not been happy, but he’d welcomed the sniffling side into their home with open arms.

Tristan’s room sprouted into existence that night, but it didn’t make him feel any better. The room was dark and stifling and so devoid of any warmth or joy. Tristan hadn’t liked it, but he didn’t say anything about it.

He spent a lot of time in that room, bundled under the blankets of his bed, feeling... he didn’t know how he felt. He felt dead. He felt disconnected. He felt miserable. His chest hurt, right where that strange scar stretched over the left side of his chest. He would randomly dissolve into silent tears and sobs.

Tristan hated it. He hated feeling this way. He hated how the others had become worried over him. He hated how they would knock on the door or come into his room to stroke his hair and gently ask him what was wrong or give him love and company.

All that effort... wasted. It never did a thing to help him feel better.

Tristan stopped eating. He stopped sleeping. He’d only pass out when his body demanded rest. And even then his dreams would be fitful, full of feelings of loneliness and guilt.

Guilt over whatever he had done to make the other abandon him.

Devlin and Vixen would cuddle him. Morey would tell him stories about the amazing things Thomas had done that day in school. Pan would bring him shiny things, sharing them in the hopes that he would perk up.

But nothing seemed to help.

“Please,” Deceit pleaded, holding a spoon of soup to Tristan’s lips. “Please eat. For me? You’ve gotten so thin. You need your strength. Please? Please...”

The soup dripped and soaked the blankets as Tristan’s mouth stayed close. Deceit sniffled, his tears making their own spots on the blanket. He continued to push the spoon against Tristan’s lips.

Tristan cried even harder that night, feeling guilty for making Deceit cry. It was all his fault! Why did he have to feel this way? Be this way? Why couldn’t he be like the others? What was his problem?!

When Dr. Emile Picani was finally created, Deceit all but kidnapped him and drug him to their home. He explained Tristan’s condition, again tearing up out of fear and despair. Dr. Picani assured him he would do all that he could.

And when he asked Tristan how he felt, he got a simple answer:

“I don’t want to exist anymore.”

Depression, Emile called it. It was a terrible beast that could rarely be defeated. Some were doomed to be in constant battle with it forever while others might be able to tame it enough that it doesn’t affect them so aggressively.

Either way, Tristan would need help.

Emile started therapy sessions with Tristan. They slowly began to bear fruit as Tristan began to eat and sleep. The others did all they could to reassure him that they were there to help him fight his battles if needed them.

That had just made Tristan cry again.

He’d been abandoned by the first person he’d met. Someone that he could tell was more than just another face. They were important. They were part of him.

And he’d abandoned Tristan.

But he had his new family now. They wouldn’t just abandon him. That thought gave him strength.

It took so long for Tristan to get better, and the others were with him every step of the way. His bad days grew less and less, he began to develop hobbies and interests, he learned new skills and grew.

And with it all came a mission: Tristan wanted everyone to be happy. 

He never wanted anyone to feel the way he had. He took to this mission seriously, always doing what he could to make the others smile. He may have been Sadness, but he was going to do his best to not spread it.

For Thomas. For his family. For his friends.


	143. Habits 2

Deceit’s words had made Logan curious. It seemed that eveeryone had a strange eating habit, and he wanted to know what else there was. He’d lucked out and entered the living room to see some of the other sides eating.

“Hi Logan,” Tristan beamed from the kitchen table, He was putting toppings on his ice cream.

“Greetings Tristan,” Logan said, walking over. “What are you making?”

“The Big Happiness,” said Tristan. “My favorite ice cream.”

“Oh?” Logan looked at the ice cream as Tristan mixed it. “What’s in it?”

“Vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, chocolate sauce, and walnuts,” Tristan smiled. “The Big Happiness.”

“I see. I was actually hoping you could help me,” said Logan. “Deceit mentioned how we have odd eating habits, and I wondered if you might have more information.”

“Odd eating habits?” Tristan scrunched his nose in thought. “I’m not sure. I mean, I dunno what you would count as ‘odd’.”

He then took a bite of his ice cream-

Oh dear Newton’s apple. Logan flinched.

Tristan took a bite by sinking his teeth right into the middle of the ice cream on his spoon. Logan’s dental nerves figuratively cried out in sympathy pain as he watched Tristan’s front teeth disappear into frozen dairy goodness. Tristan then idly chewed his bite and swallowed it as if he couldn’t feel any pain at all and what he did was compeltely normal.

“But Vixie’s eating some cookies on the couch. You can go ask him,” Tristan said as he took another bite. Logan shuddered at seeing Tristan literally bite the ice cream. He needed to step away.

“Thanks,” he said. “I’ll go see him now.”

Logan quickly turned away. HOW did Tristan manage to eat like that?

Vixen was indeed sitting on the couch, but he wasn’t exactly eating cookies. More specifically, he was eating unbaked cookie dough. He had a tube of it in his hands and he was using a knife to periodically cut slices from it and then just ate the slices directly.

He noticed Logan standing there and held the tube out to him.

“Want some?” He offered. “It’s those Halloween ones.”

Logan decided that no one ever had the right to scold him for eating Crofters straight from the jar ever again.


	144. Cuddles

Melantha Bloodstone was Remus’s top general. She was intelligent, ruthless, effiicent, and she’d yet to lose a battle with her troops. Her face seemed to have a permanent scowl on it as she marched around in her armor, sword at her hip. Many of the others in the castle were terrified of her. Nothing could crack her focus. Nothing could melt her icy stone of a heart. Nothing could make her smile-

“Hello Melantha...”

Ah... well, one person could. 

Melantha’s scowl melted into a warm smile as Tristan approached her. Perhaps it was the maternal instincts that laid dormant in her rotting body, or maybe Tristan was just that adorable. Either way, she could never bring herself to be anything but kind, patient, and caring when interacting with him.

“Hello Tristan. How are you today?” She asked.

“Um... I’m...” Tristan sniffled, and Melantha’s hackles nearly raised in anger. Who had made this poor boy cry?!

“I’m... I’m just having another bad day and was wondeirng if Remus was busy,” Tristan finally said.

It was common practice for Tristan to seek cuddles when he was having a bad day. If you were to ever ask him, he’d tell you that not all cuddles were created equal. As such, he would sometimes desire cuddles from only certain people. Today it was Remus.

“His Majesty is busy receiving speaking to his subjects about their greivances,” said Melantha. “But I’ll inform him of your arrival.”

“No, don’t worry,” Tristan shook his head. “I don’t want to be a bother when he’s busy...”

“Nonsense,” said Melantha. “His Majesty himself gave the order to always inform him if you needed him. Please wait right here while I speak to him.”

She pat his shoulder and disappeared through a nearby door. Tristan waited, fidgeting with his sleeves again. When she finally returned, she once again smiled. 

“His Majesty is ready to receive you,” she said. “Please go inside.”

She opened the door for Tristan and gave him one last smile as he walked through. 

Tristan had entered Remus’s throne room, a grand hall full of dark colors and gothic architecture. There was a line of people at the bottom of the stairs that led to the throne, and Remus’s subjects all turned to smile at Tristan. Remus himself was sitting on his throne, wearing his crown and draped in his black furred cloak.

“Another bad day?” Remus gently asked as Tristan approached the throne. “Come sit here with me, you can put your head on my lap.” He opened his cloak and draped it over Tristan as the other sat down. Tristan stretched out on the large throne to get comfortable, and he smiled softly when he felt one of Remus’s tentacles lay itself over him. The grip was gentle like a hug, just how Tristan liked it. 

“Now then, you were saying that you were having problems with wolves?” Remus asked the subject at the head of the line. His hand rested on Tristan’s head and stroked his hair.

“Yes, Your Grace. They’ve been terrorizing our village...”

Tristan closed his eyes and settled down for a nice nap. This was just the cuddle he needed...


	145. Fusion 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Logan has a question...

“Could we fuse?”

The question had been so innocent and curious.

Remus looked up from where he was lounging on the couch to where Logan was lowering his book.

“Ha!” Remus grinned. “Fuse with me? I doubt we’re compatible. I mean, we’re opposites, Lolo!”

“And yet it’s opposite poles that generate magnetic attractions,” Logan mused. “And while our functions may be opposites we do share... some things. Would you be willing to fuse? If the thought makes you uncomfortable we don’t have to.”

Remus briefly thought about the disaster of a fusion that was generated from him and Roman. But Logan... Logan was just curious. He wasn’t trying to take advantage of something, it would be safe.

“Eh,” Remus finally shrugged. “Sure. What kind of dance are you feeling? I only know club dancing, salsa, waltzes, and tangos.”

“I think a tango would be best,” Logan fiddled with his phone and put on some music. Remus stood up, stretched with an insane amount of cracking sounds, and then took his position to lead the dance.

He was surprised when Logan shifted him, taking the lead himself.

“I always lead,” he said. Remus grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

“You got it, Daddy...”

Logan rolled his eyes and they began to dance.

It was... strange to suddenly exist.

He (they?) gasped, falling into a normal breathing rythm. He wrapped his arms around himself until his breathing slowed down.

He looked around (**Remus?)** the living room, taking everything in.

It was silent (_Logan?_) in this room.

**Remus? Can you hear me? It worked!**

_Logan? It’s... it’s so quiet. I don’t like this. I can’t take it!_

**Remus, it’s ok. Breathe with me.**

_I can’t take it! Make it stop!_

His form flickered as if something was trying to rip it apart.

**Breathe with me, Remus. Try to match my breathing.**

It took some effort, but he finally calmed down, his form no longer flickering.

“It worked,” he said in awe. “It really worked. We did it! I did it?”

He shook his head and walked over to a nearby mirror.

He had four eyes: two dark blue and two bright green. They were positioned in two straight lines, piled on top of each other. He had no mustache, but his hair had the silver streak, and it was messy.

His clothes had changed. They were a mishmash of blues and greens and blacks, elegant stripes and solids, reminescent of fashion in the eighteenth century. A coat, a dress shirt, a vest, some slacks, boots, a cravat. And of course, glasses were perched on his nose.

“Amazing,” he said, smoothing his hands down his coat. The fabric was heavy, but smooth and moved easily. It almost reminded him of an old doctor or scientist. However limited they had been back then...

_Lots of blood and gore in the name of medicine, eh? Shall we lop off someone’s arm?_

“We need a name,” he said, looking back up in the mirror. “Or at least a title.”

_I’m rather partial to The Earl..._

**Hmm... it has a nice ring to it. And most Earls were well educated...**

“The Earl,” he said. “Yes, it sounds right.”

Within him, he felt two forces finally connect seamlessly as if they had always been pieces of a whole.


	146. Romance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this was an idea that would not leave me alone. And since you all loved seeing Tristan tumble down the angst hill, I thought I'd give him another good shove.

“King Julius always tried to make me happy,” said Tristan. “He would often say ‘Smile, Tristan. Your smile is beautiful’. Or he would give me gifts sometimes.”

“What kind of gifts?” Roman asked. He leaned against the log he was sitting against. They were both gathered around a fire in the imagination, the starry sky stretching above them.

“He used to give me poems,” Tristan smiled at the memory. “I saved them all. And he’d give me flowers too. I made a pressed flower collection out of them. He was such a good friend...”

“Poems?” Roman echoed. “What kind?”

“All kinds,” said Tristan. “I remember one was:

_Peter Pan had a lost boy who had no happy thoughts._  
_The Lost Boy often sighed and cried hopelessly a lot._  
_So Peter had a fairy make him beautiful wings._  
_Because everyone should fly even if they cant think happy things._”

Roman raised his eyebrows. That was a good one. And it was clear just who the lost boy was. Roman opened his mouth to ask another question, but he paused. Tristan’s eyes were full of something bright. Something that made him smile dreamily. Roman knew that look well.

“Tristan...” he asked slowly. “Were you.. I mean, did you... You and Julius?”

Tristan tilted his head in confusion, trying to understand what Roman was asking. He seemed to figure it out as his eyes widened and he paled. He opened his mouth a few times, but no sound came out.

“I didn’t want to!” He finally cried. “I... I didn’t...”

He curled into himself, long sleeves wrapping around his body, and looking so pitiful. Roman sat up straight, reaching out to assure him.

“Tristan, it’s ok. I was just asking,” he said. “But... why did you not want to?”

Tristan covered his face with his sleeve covered hands.

“I... he was always so good,” he said, his voice muffled. “So warm, so full of light. I... wouldn’t have been good for him. I was always terified that I would corrupt him somehow and then his kingdom would be ruined...”

Roman knew he should stop. He should stop this conversation now. But he was too damn curious for his own good.

“Tristan, it’s ok-”

“You don’t get it!” Tristan leapt to his feet. “He made me feel so good in a way that my family doesn’t. H-He made me feel like I had hope. Like I could... like I could have a happy ending.” He sniffled again, tears filling his eyes. “I wanted to feel that way forever. I never wanted it to end. A few days before the split happened, he told me... he told me that he wasn’t feeling well. He told me that if anything happened to him, to-” he choked slightly on a sob. “t-to... to keep smiling. Because my smile was beautiful...”

Roman... was shocked. He’d never have expected anything like this. Tristan always seemed so... well, not the type for romantic love. And when Devlin had come out as Aro, Roman assumed that Tristan was the same. Oh, how wrong he’d been.

“Did you ever tell him?” He asked, unable to stop himself.

“He never said anything...” Tristan’s sobs had quited into sniffles. He sounded exhausted. “I never said anything either.”

“Why not?” Roman stood up and walked closer.

“Because I... I knew what it would feel like if I had turned out to be wrong,” Tristan was staring off into the distance. “And I didn’t want to feel that pain. So I stayed quiet and just... I just enjoyed the company he gave me.”

He shook his head, finally looking over at Roman. As he did, it began to rain gently on them. The firs sputterd, but it was a special one that wouldn’t extinguish. The shadows fluttered and moved over Tristan’s face. The effect made him look even more tired and drained of life. It was a look that Roman hated.

“But it doesn’t matter,” Tristan said softly. “He’s gone now... and he’s never coming back.”

Roman finally seemed to understand what sorrow was. Disney had always glossed over it, never showing it enough for the audience to really understand. Almost always following it with a happy ending or event.

But now Roman could see it. Hell, he could feel it. He could see and feel the pain and despair that Tristan always carried on his shoulders. While he’d mostly seen Tristan on good days, he was finally seeing him on a bad one. And deep within... Roman could feel a phantom pain in his very soul.

He wanted to cry. He could feel his body telling him to. He tried to fight it, but he lost. Tears welled up in his eyes and slowly began to drip down. He sniffled and wiped at them with his own sleeve.

“Oh no,” Tristan noticed his tears. “Oh no... don’t cry. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry. I’m so sorry...” He rubbed at Roman’s shoulders in a comforting gesture, but it didn’t help at all.

Roman pulled Tristan into a hug and squeezed him tightly. How could Tristan stand this? It was agony. It was torture. It was... it was pain unlike Roman had ever felt. It didn’t even feel like it was coming from him.

“It’s ok if you can’t always smile,” Roman said softly. “Everyone needs a good rain shower every now and then.”

Tristan hugged him back, not knowing what to say.

When the rain finally stopped, they were asleep in each others arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like these stories, please comment. I also take requests if anyone is interested in suggesting any prompts or scenarios. Also, if anyone wants to make fanart or share the links for these fics, you are all welcome to do so. I also have a tumblr blog that you can come hang out on at beautiful-doom.tumblr.com


	147. Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus decides to come up with an emergency plan.
> 
> WARNINGS FOR MENTIONS OF CANNIBALISM BUT NO ACTUAL CANNIBALISM.

“Gentlemen,” Remus steepled his fingers, looking like an old James Bond villain. “I have called this meeting because there is something important that we must discuss.”

“Does it have to do with butts?” Virgil asked, not looking up from his phone.

“No, that’s next week’s meeting,” said Remus. “This one is far more important. Today we must discuss... who we are going to eat when the lockdowns go into effect.”

There was gasping, sounds of distress, and sounds of people spittng out their tea. Patton coughed a few times, setting his mug aside. Logan just sat there giving Remus an incredulous look. He’d been smart enough to wait until Remus had finished speaking to sip his cold drink.

“Are you- no, you are,” Roman cried. “You really think we’re going to just eat someone because we’re on lockdown?”

“Well, it won’t be because we’re on lockdown, it’ll be because we ran out of food,” said Remus. “Desperate times, desperate measures. Survival of the fittest, and all that. So when we run out of food, we need to have someone ready to die and be eaten so that the rest of us will survive. Now, who would like to volunteer?”

The others still gave him incredulous looks, except for Roman. He just looked angry.

“No one?” Remus looked around. “Fine, then I’ll pick. And I pick Patton.”

“Sweet Patrick Stump, he’s thought this through,” Virgil said. “He’s really thought this through...”

“Me?!” Patton squeaked. “Why me?”

“Because we all know you won’t eat someone even if you’re inches from starvation. Ergo, there’s no sense in sacrificing someone else just so that you can refuse and die too. So you should be the one to be killed and eaten if the need arises.”

“You... do know that we can just conjure food, right?” Logan finally spoke. “We have no need of resorting to cannibalism.”

“You’re the one always crowing about having back up plans,” Remus pointed out.

“Coherent backup plans,” Logan said. “Necessary ones for actual problems that we may have.”

“Well, I guess this plan is all on me then,” Remus poked his tongue with his qull and began to write in a notebook. “So Patton will be the one killed and eaten in the event of no food and imminent starvation. We’ll just have to make sure to save some spices so that the meat’s not too bland...”

“Remus, I am actually worried about you,” Roman sighed, sounding a thousand percent done with his brother. “Please get help.”

“I tried, but none of you wanted to help with this plan, so that’s not my fault, is it?” Remus snarked. “Anyway, meeting adjourned. I think we managed to get a lot done today.”

“We got nothing done!” Logan squawked. “This was all nonsense.”

“See you all next week,” Remus said as if Logan hadn’t spoken. He got up and left, leaving the still shocked sides behind.


	148. Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is interested, I wrote a post about Tristan's characterization:
> 
> https://beautiful-doom.tumblr.com/post/614060888811520000/tristans-characterization

Virgil did his breathing exercises, Tristan coaching him through them patiently and gently. Virgil and Tristan had always been close, and it made sense. Depression and anxiety often went hand in hand after all. They could understand the minds of the other, both dealing with debilitating mental problems.

Which was why Tristan worked extra hard to keep Virgil happy.

“I don’t think I can do this,” Virgil said, still working on calming down. “With everything going on... what are we going to do? What if everything just gets worse and worse?”

“It’s ok,” Tristan said, holding Virgil’s hand. “I know things are scary, but you have us. We’ll get through this together.”

“I don’t think we can,” Virgil shook his head. Tristan tilted his head and smiled as an idea struck him.

“You know,” he said casually, “I remember someone from my darker days. A little boy about this tall. He liked to wear dark clothing and played around with Vixie’s eyeshadow pallettes...”

Virgil’s eyes widened, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. Tristan’s grin widened, and he continued.

“I remember whenever I had bad days, this little boy would come up to me and give me cuddles or snacks or put movies on to distract me. He said ‘Tristan (Tristan changed his tone into a childish one that had a slight lisp), I’ll protect you from the sad stuff’. Well, now it’s my turn.”

He took both of Virgil’s hands in his.  
“Virgil, I’ll protect you from the scary stuff. I’ll be here for you whenever you need me just like you were for me. After all, you’re still the baby of the family. We’re all here to help you.”

Virgil snorted.

“I’m the baby?” He asked.

“Yeah,” said Tristan. “You’re the youngest. That makes you the baby.”

“_I’m_ the baby,” Virgil repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“Well yeah,” said Tristan. “Who else could it be?”

Virgil gave Tristan a very pointed look. Tristan stared back at him in confusion. He eventually just shrugged and pulled Virgil down to sit properly on the couch with him.

“You can’t escape,” he said. “You’re youngest. You’re baby. Now sit and watch this movie with me. You like Princess Mononoke, right?”

Virgil did like Princess Mononoke very much. He glanced at Tristan as the other put the movie on, and he smiled.

He remembered a similar scene all those years ago of a little boy putting on Black Cauldron and cuddling a side that was sniffling softly...


	149. Trixie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For those of you wondering about the name: other than the fact that it's a mishmash of names, it's also an abbreviation of Beatrix, which means 'To bring joy'. And that's what this is, they bring each other joy.

It had been an experiment at best. Dr. Picani had recommended that Tristan watch Steven Universe since he had been... away when it had first premeired.

Tristan locked onto the concept of fusions. How they worked, how they were made, how they made the participants feel. He wanted to try it himself, especially since Remus had claimed a successful fusion with Logan.

But who to fuse with?

“Vixie,” Tristan said, rushing into Vixen’s new room. “Fuse with me, please?”

Vixen had been touching up his eye shadow in the mirror. He glanced at Tristan in confusion, brush still hovering in the air.

“Fuse with you? You mean like how Remus fused with Logan?”

“Yeah!” Tristan threw his arms into the air, sleeves flapping wildly. He often did this when he got excited. “I really wanna try it, and I trust you a lot. And I think you might like it too. Can we please try?”

Vixen chuckled, setting his make up brush down. He’d been curious himself about fusions, but he hadn’t been able to decide on who would be best to fuse with. If Tristan wanted to try, then who was he to deny him?

“Ok, let me put some music on,” Vixen fiddled with his phone to find a song. Tristan cheered and happily danced in place.

>>>>

He took a deep breath and stumbled slightly in place. He tried to brace himself against the wall, but there were too many arms and hands. Which ones did he control?

Stable against the wall, he put one of his hands to his chest, feeling a throbbing pain there.

_Vixie?_

**Why does this hurt? Oh god, is this the pain you normally feel?**

_Vixie! Vixie, come here. Hold onto me. It’ll be ok. Just breathe. It’ll go away. Just relax. You have to trust me. Let me help you!_

He sighed loudly in relief as if some wall within crumbled and the two opposing forces joined as one. They leaned on each other, with one accepting the other’s strength more and more.

He finally managed to stand up straight, looking around curiously. Four arms? Well, that was new. But it felt right, and his control over them stabilized. He could use them freely.

The large mirror was still there, and it showed his new look. He had one grey eye and one bright pink one. He wore a pink oversized sweater that bore one of his shoulders and went down to his knees with grey stockings underneath. He was barefoot, and a crown of grey and pink flowers adorned his head. His makeup was immaculate, soft enough to accent his features without looking like it was too much.

“it worked,” he said softly. “It really worked. Oh! Oh, this... this feels good. I feel... warm... and content.”

He glanced over where Vixen’s pink fur coat was hanging up. Normally, his instincts would scream at him to put it on, but they were silent now.

“No,” he said. “I don’t need it. I don’t need that coat. I feel just fine!”

He reached down and picked up one of Vixen’s brushes, looking at it curiously.

_Vixie, we need a name._

**A name? Why?**

_All the fusions had different names so it wouldn’t get confusing._

“A name? What could my name be?” He put the brush down and looked at himself in the mirror.

“Trixie?” He finally said.

**That’s a hooker’s name.**

_What’s a hooker?_

**Never mind. If you like it, I say we keep it.**

“Trixie. My name is Trixie,” he smiled, feeling at peace with himself.


	150. Villain

It had been bugging Roman for a while.

This... desire, this craving. Nothing else seemed to satisfy it. Of course, Patton had tried to help him, but Roman hadn’t the heart to tell him it just wasn’t the same. If Roman wanted it, he’d have to ask... him.

“Hey... friendo...” Best to be charming, and so Roman gave his most charming smile.

Devlin looked away from the tv he’d been watching, raising an eyebrow at the prince.

“Can I help you?” He asked.

“I was just wondering... if you wouldn’t mind... doing that thing again,” Roman kept up his charm, but it was quickly obvious that Devlin was immune to it. The orange side just gave him a ‘what the hell are you talking about’ look.

“You know, the thing you do.” Roman said.

“I do a lot of things,” Devlin sounded amused. “You’ll have to specify.”

“You know...” Roman huffed. “That thing where I sit down and you put your arm around me.”

Devlin stared at Roman for a moment or two... before erupting into laughter.

“You mean a cuddle?” He chuckled. “You want a cuddle?”

“If that’s what you want to call it, then yes,” Roman was pouting now. How dare Devlin be immune to his princely charms? How dare he laugh at his misfortune? But even as Roman listened, he realized there was no real bite to Devlin’s laughter. He just sounded more amused than anything.

“That’s what everyone calls it,” Devlin shook his head. “But sure. Come sit down and I’ll give you a cuddle.”

Roman tried not to show his enthusiasm, and he barely did. He plopped down next to Devlin, and the other side wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close.

Roman sighed happily, this was just what he needed.

There was something different in the way that Devlin cuddled. Something very different than how Patton cuddled. Patton cuddled like an overeager cat, warm and soft and lots of happy sounds. It wasn’t bad, but it just hadn’t been what Roman had wanted.

Devlin, on the other hand, cuddled people to make them feel safe. Years of cuddling Tristan and Virgil had tuned his cuddling skills like a fine art. He knew just what to do to make his charge feel safe so that they could finally relax. And there was something about it that was intoxicating to Roman. A cuddle so full of love and safety, it was a rare thing.

“How do you do it?” Roman couldn’t help but ask, adjusting his position to be more comfortable. Devlin let him, hold never faltering.

“Do what?” he asked, not looking away from the tv. He was watching something that Roman didn’t recognize. Something about a man with white hair and two swords. Whatever it was, it looked like a good series, he should try it.

“Make people feel so... protected. With just a cuddle. You don’t even have any weapons.”

“I don’t have any weapons on me,” Devlin corrected. “And it took a lot of work. When I was first created, I didn’t know my own strength. I spent a long time learning how to do things carefully so that I wouldn’t hurt anyone or break things. One of those things was hugging and cuddling. I got it down to almost a science. It’s all about where you put your arms and hands and how much pressure you use. Plus, I’m just naturally powerful, so you can feel that underneath...”

Roman hummed, already settling down into the levels of happy contentment. It made sense what Devlin said. Roman had never considered that the powerhouse would have had to learn to control himself. He was vaguely reminded of Hercules from the Disney movie... but he was certain that Devlin had never caused an entire market to collapse.

Roman leaned more on Devlin and continued to watch the show in silence. Ah, so now the townspeople were calling the whitehaired man a villain, a butcher, a monster. But he wasn’t! Roman had just watched him-

He paused.

His eyes slowly looked up at Devlin, still hearing the cries of ‘monster’ from the tv.

_Oh..._


	151. Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am really cranking out these fusions, aren't I? If any of you have a request for a certain combination, let me know. XD

“So, I was thinking...” Roman trailed off, trying to think of how to pose his reaquest.

“Thinking?” Devlin slid some food into one of the ovens. “Oh good, I thought that burning smell was from the food.”

“Hey!” Roman sounded offended. “For your information, I was wondering what would happen if we tried fusing?”

“Fusing?” Devlin raised an eyebrow as he straightened up. Roman flinched when he saw that Devlin hadn’t used oven mitts. Devlin had long ago assured him that he was immune to heat and fire and burns and whatnot. Roman would be lying if he said he wasn’t jealous...

“Fusing,” Roman struck an epic pose. “Where you and I join together to form someone bigger and better than us. Imagine the possibilities! And didn’t your brothers all creat successful fusions?”

“Hmm...” Devlin mused. “I admit I’ve been curious. But... I don’t think you and I would be a good combination. We aren’t exactly compatible.”

“Not compatible? Good sir, we are both full of raw passion and energy that burns within us like an eternal flame! How could we not be compatible?”

“Hmm...” Devlin glanced at the timer on the oven. He had plenty of time before the food would be ready. “Well... I suppose we could at least try. I’d like to try a fusion at least once.”

“Wonderful!” Roman walked closer and put his hands out. “Now we dance! I know a great waltz.”

“I don’t know how to waltz,” Devlin took Roman’s hand and led him to the living room. “You know how to swing dance, Princey?”

“Swing dance?” Roman repeated in confusion. Devlin chuckled.

“Just follow my lead. One, two, three, four!”

>>>>

He felt... strange. Like he was standing in a metal can.

Ah, he had some armor on. A dark metal chest plate emblazoned with an orange symbol that resembled a flame. Stretching out a bit, he could feel the rest of his outfit was a mix of dark leather and fur. A red cape was fastened to his shoulders.

_Devlin?_

**Roman?**

_Sweet Te ka! I feel like I’m on fire!_

**Roman! Relax. Give it a mimute to adjust.**

_What is this feeling?! I feel... strange._

**You’ve never been me before. Just relax.**

_I feel... powerful!_

He stumbled slightly as he moved to find a mirror. He stood before the one in Devlin’s room and looked. His eyes were still brown, but they had a bright orange ring around them. It made him look scary.

“Interesting,” he said softly. Even his voice was rougher. He held out his hands and a sword and shield appeared. The sword was enormous with a red hilt and matching scabbard. The shield was a swirl of red and orange.

“To attack and defend,” he muttered. The sword and shield felt right in his hands. He vanished them both and looked back at his reflection.

A form as fine as this needs a name! Something noble!

“I look like a knight,” he said. “Is that what I am?”

He pounded his fist against his breastplate with a loud clang.

**Stop pounding our chest. You’re not a gorilla.**

_I feel powerful! I can’t help it._

**You’re acting weird.**

_No, I’m acting mad. Mad... yes, it’s perfect!_

“The Mad Knight,” he shook his head. “I see what you did there...”

He hit his chest again while a force within him cackled.

The other force just facepalmed...


	152. Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A reminder to everyone who thinks Tristan is a soft presh cinnamon roll who can do no harm... he's not.
> 
> WARNING FOR IMPLIED SELF HARM

“How do you do it?” Logan asked.

“Do what?” Tristan asked. He was reading another of Logan’s books. They were both in Logan’s room just relaxing after a long day.

“I notice the way you look at the world around you. The world around Thomas,” Logan said slowly. “So... hopeful and... dare I say it, naive. Then again, I suppose it’s in your nature to see the world like that.”

“Nature?”

Logan flinched. Tristan’s tone... it sounded off.

Logan looked over at the other to see Tristan had set his book aside and was looking at Logan with his arms crossed. It was near unnerving to see Tristan with such a hard and serious expression. If Logan hadn’t known any better, he’d say it was Deceit in disguise.

“Oh... how quickly you light sides forget just who and what I am,” said Tristan. “What I do. What I control. And most of all... what I _can_ do.” As he spoke, he reached over to Logan’s lamp, and the light in the room slowly began to fade as if Tristan was draining it himself.

Logan yelped and stood up, backing away from the other. Tristan’s soft sweater shifted into a short sleeved shirt. White scars decorated his wrists, standing out against the scores of freckles, and Logan could see a strange black scar poking out from under his collar.

**“I am sorrow,”** said Tristan. **“Sadness. Depression. I am the darkness that swallows all light and the silent killer that can kill without being seen even once. People throw their lives away because of me. People take the lives of others because of me. I destroy everything that I touch, I break hearts and minds. And I can never... be stopped. THAT is my nature.”**

He stepped closer to Logan, and a chill came with him. Logan shivered, pressing his back against the wall. He looked at Tristan with wide eyes, finally seeing what was beneath the fluffy surface.

“People do bad things in this world,” Tristan continued. “Sometimes it’s to hurt people. Sometimes it’s because they themselves are hurt. Sometimes they do bad things even without meaning to.” He paused and placed a hand on his chest, where that black scar no doubt was. “But people do good things too. There can be goodness in this world, and there is. It’s not a bad thing to have hope. It’s not a bad thing to seek out that goodness...”

He sniffled, eyes turning grey and welling up with tears.

“My very nature... would blind Thomas to that goodness. That light in this world,” he said. “My very nature... is to drain Thomas of every bit of hope, dash all of his dreams. I’ve been through every layer of Hell imaginable. I could just as easily have succumbed to my nature and become the ravenous monster who feeds on the misery of Thomas. I could drain him and leave him numb and warped into a living zombie. He would only exist... he wouldn’t be living.”

He gently rubbed at his wrists, lost in some distant memory. Logan reached out, but Tristan turned away. He took a deep breath, and his clothes shifted again. His sweater was back, long sleeves and turtle neck hiding his scars.

“It was Dr. Picani that taught me that my nature doesn’t define me. I can be who I wish to be. I didn’t want to be all of that.” He touched the lamp again and the light returned. “I choose to see the good in the world. I choose to believe in the goodness of people. I choose to hope. I choose to dream. I didn’t want to hurt people, I wanted to help them be happy.”

He turned around and faced Logan, eyes no longer grey.

“Yes, some people may take advantage. But I would rather feed five dogs and be bittien by one of them, than to see any dog go hungry. I know there are dangers. I know there are times when such a view can’t be maintained.”

He smiled, once again walking closer to Logan.

“But that’s why we have you. You’re the one to keep us grounded in reality. But this is the way I choose to be, and I won’t stop. I hope you can understand, Pluto...”

Logan was silent for a moment. He slowly reached out and put his hand on Tristan’s shoulder.

“I apologize for what I said,” Logan said. “And you are right. If you choose to keep this rose colored view of the world... then that is your choice. Perhaps... perhaps such a view isn’t so bad at times. I believe it could... help improve Thomas’s mind and body to see the world through pink lenses.”

“Pink lenses?” Tristan repeated. “Oh! Then we’ll have to borrow Vixie’s sunglasses. Maybe he’ll let Thomas wear them.”

Logan laughed and pulled Tristan into a hug. True, logic had little room for innocence and naivete. But... perhaps Logan could make some room.

For Tristan...


	153. Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This idea would not leave me alone.

A scream sent a cold shiver down the spines of all who heard.

It wasn’t so much that the scream was one of pure unmitigated terror, but that it had come from Remus.

The side in question had just entered the living room where Roman was playing on his playstation, Remus had long ago given him permission to play. But it was what Roman was playing, and what he had done that had caused Remus to scream.

**“YOU KILLED HER!”**

Patton and Logan rushed into the room, concern in their expressions. Virgil popped up too, but he swiftly sunk out when he saw what Roman had done.

“I did!” Roman looked proud of himself. “She was a worthy adversary, but I beat her in the end-”

**“YOU KILLED TORIEL! YOU KILLED GOAT MOM!”**

Roman looked confused as Remus stalked over to the screen, eyes still wide in horror.

“How could you?!”

Oh, and now he looked angry.

“Relax, I made my own save file-” Roman tried to calm his brother down.

“Your save file will affect mine!” Remus gripped his unruly hair, muscles stiffening in distress. “Sans will know! Put the controller down, Brother!”

Roman was starting to become annoyed. She was a monster. The whole point of these games was to kill and defeat monsters, right? Remus certainly had no trouble doing so in his other games.

When Roman didn’t put the controller down, Remus turned his glowing green eyes on him.

“Put. The. Controller. Down.” He summoned his morningstar, and Roman jumped back, dropping the controller on the ground.

“Yeesh! Take it. I still don’t get why you’re so upset about this.”

Remus gathered up the controller, the console, and then ripped the chords from the wall. The screen went dark and then fizzled with white noise.

“Shut up!” Remus growled. “Just shut up. You don’t get it and you never will! That’s just how you are, how you’ve always been! Just swing your sword and destroy everything that you deem bad or evil in your little kingdom!”

“Remus-” Now Roman was a little concerned.

“No! You stay away from me. I... I have to fix this...” his eye twitched as he clutched the console to his chest. “I have to fix this!” He turned and rushed up the stairs. A moment later, they all heard his door slam.

“What happened?” Patton finally spoke. “What had him so upset?”

“I don’t know,” Roman threw his arms in the air. “I was just playing one of his games and he freaked out.”

“Golly Gee...” Patton shook his head. “You must’ve done something wrong, Roman.”

“I did nothing wrong,” Roman huffed. “I just did what you do in video games.”

“Perhaps you didn’t,” Logan adjusted his glasses. “Not all video games have the same rules.”

Roman paled slightly.

“They don’t?”


	154. Games 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman calls for help.

“What happened?” Tristan asked. “Remus was really upset.”

Roman sighed. They were sitting on the beach in the Imagination again. Tristan was cleaning off some shells for his collection and tossing food to the crabs that scuttled by.

“Apparently I killed some character in the game I was playing,” Roman said. “I don’t know why he was so upset! It’s a video game, you’re supposed to kill the monsters. And this one was wanting to keep me trapped in the ruins for eternity-”

“Goat Mom?!” Tristan shouted. “You killed Goat Mom?!”

“And that was exactly Remus’s reaction,” Roman finished.

“I’m sorry,” Tristan shook his head. “But Goat Mom? Out of all the monsters, you chose to kill her?”

“Oh, I killed all the others too,” Roman said. “Those frog things and the little jello molds.”

Tristan facepalmed, and it was an epic facepalm. A very deliberate one. No doubt he’d been taught how to by Deceit...

“Ok. I see that I’m gonna have to be the one to educate you.” Tristan summoned a pair of glasses and a tie that was patterned with Manatees. He adjusted his glasses in a way that Logan often did.

“I’m the teacher now,” he said. “So... let me tell you about Undertale. Now... there are many games that allow you to choose what decisions to make or what words to say. Like in Bioshock where you can decide to rescue or harvest the Little Sisters.”

“Harvest the what?” Roman looked concerned.

“Don’t worry, I don’t think you’ll ever play that game,” Tristan gave a dismissive wave. “Anyway, while in most games, the choices don’t really do much and you usually end up with the same ending, Undertale is not one of those. Every choice you make alters your ending in some way. And while most games just let you be as evil as you want, Undertale not only discourages you it punishes you.”

“So wait... if I’m not supposed to kill the monsters, what do I do?” Roman asked.

“Did you not pay attention to Toriel?” Tristan asked. “She tells you what to do. Use your Act button until you can Spare your opponent. If you had done that, you’d have seen a much different battle and a much different ending that didn’t consist of our beloved Goat Mom dying.”

“Oh...” Roman sheepishly scratched his head. “I might have... not really paid attention when she was talking in the beginning.”

“Toriel is a beloved character from the game,” said Tristan. “She’s right up there with characters like Papyrus, Sans, Alphys, and even Asgore. But... since Remus is a complete Mama’s boy, he latched onto Toriel the most. So killing her was the absolute worst thing you could have done.”

Roman felt a bit guilty. He had been so sure that the monsters were the enemy, but Tristan was saying that he had it all wrong. But he was a prince, it was his job to defeat monsters. What else were you supposed to do with them? But then why now was he feeling guilty over a virtual death?

Well... it probably had to do with how unnerving Remus’s reaction had been. He’d really been upset, and that was rare.

“What should I do?” Roman asked. “Remus refuses to talk to me.”

“Your Act button has more than one choice,” said Tristan. “If talking doesn’t work, try something else. I’m sure you can think of something. Just, whatever you do... don’t resort to the Fight button.”

Roman nodded quietly, mind still buzzing with thought.

"Out of curiosity, which character did you latch onto?" He asked.

Tristan blushed slightly.

"Um... Alphys."


	155. Noises

Something Thomas noticed about his Sides was the noises they made. While Patton, Logan, and Roman made normal noises like any other person, it was the others that made noises that were more... animal like.

For instance: hissing. Three sides hissed, but they hissed differenty.

Virgil hissed with an open mouth, sounding like an angry cat. He hissed for all manner of occasions. He hissed when he was angry, nervous, or when someone insulted him.

Deceit hissed through his teeth, sounding more like a snake. He mostly hissed when angry or when he got into debates with the others. He would also hiss mockingly in a very suave tone when he wanted to irritate the other sides.

Remus’s noise was like a cross between a hiss and a growl. He sounded more like the alligators at the zoo. Unlike the others, he only made this sound when he was extremely angry, or as a warning that he was in a very bad mood. It was often well advised to avoid him when he made this noise.

On the other hand, the other sides didn’t hiss at all.

Devlin just straight up growled, sounding like a huge dog or wolf. Like Remus, he only growled when he was very angry or in a bad mood. The first time Thomas had heard it, he could admit that he’d been terrified. But after Devlin had calmed down, he apologized and said it was a way to make sure no one bothered him so that they wouldn’t get hurt. Thomas could appreciate that.

Vixen growled too, but it was more subtle. His growls were more a rumble in his chest, and it was often complimented by specific body language. Mainly, he would tense his muscles, almost puffing himself up. While it wasn’t as scary as Devlin’s growl, it was still unnerving in its own right since Vixen’s glares could melt stone.

Tristan surprisingly neither growled nor hissed. Instead, his sounds were more... sad. He would make these soft whimpering noises that sounded like a puppy or kitten when he was sad or distressed. They never failed to hit Thomas right in the heart. On the other hand, he also purred when he was content or very happy. Those noises were adorable. 

All in all, Thomas found the noises his Sides made rather endearing...


	156. Curious

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another fusion!

“Deceit, I would like to fuse with you,” Logan said, watching the other sort through some old trinkets he had in his room. Deceit raised an eyebrow and looked at the other curiously.

“Fuse with me?” He repeated. Logan nodded.

“I managed a successful fusion with Remus, and now I would like to try with you. I am curious.”

“You know what they say about curiosity,” Deceit warned.

“Yes, and I also know about the second part of that phrase that is rarely used,” Logan adjusted his glasses. “It is up to you, Deceit.”

Deceit had to admit that he was curious. While he’d successfully fused in the past, it hadn’t been with a light side. He’d often thought they were incompatible, but if Remus could be successful...

“Fine,” he set aside some old photos and stood up. “Let’s try.”

“Wonderful!” Logan actually sounded excited. “What dance would you like to do?”

“A good Lindy Hop,” Deceit grinned. “Just follow my lead...”

>>>>

_Did it work?_

**Well, what do you think?**

_I... I think it worked._

**This... this isn’t so bad.**

He was already used to having multiple arms, and this form had six just like he did. But it also had two sets of eyes. Two brown on the bottom, accompanied by glasses, and two gold on top with slitted pupils.

He slowly stood up, using his multiple arms to brace himself. The mirror nearby showed his reflection.

He still had scales on his body, but now they were a mix of dark blue and gold. HIs clothes had changed as well. He now wore a black slacks, a dark blue vest, a golden tie, and his usual capelet.

“My hat...” he touched the top of his head. “Ah... well, I suppose I can do without. At least I still have the cape...”

**I like this form, it looks good.**

_Was that a lie?_

**No, I’m actually telling the truth.**

“I need a name,” He looked around his room, noticing how he was a bit taller in this form. “What would be a good name?”

_Something intelligent! I won’t have a subpar name._

**Oh, I know just the name.**

“Machiavelli...” he hissed, flicking his forked tongue.

It felt right.


	157. Clean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I got this idea from playing too much House Flippers

It was a very simple job, or so Logan hoped.

He’d inherited his dear departed grandmother’s house, and now he was tasked with restoring it to its former glory. Due to her failing health, Grandma had been unable to keep the house clean, and the cousins who had stayed to help her seemed to have done no work at all.

Logan cursed the fact that he had been across the country earning his degree, but now he had graduated and was free from academic chains.

The house was a lovely two story house, but it needed a lot of work done. Logan was a little pressed for time and money to do the work himself, but luckily his friend Virgil had recommended someone local.

His name was Remus, and Virgil said he was the type of guy who ‘got shit done’. Apparently Remus did this work for fun, he just liked getting down and dirty, so he’d give Logan a good price.

And that was why Logan was standing on the house’s porch and watching Remus pull up in his van. He didn’t look all that strange, clean and neat in a set of casual clothes and work boots.

“Heya!” He smiled as he shook Logan’s hand. “I’m Remus. Virgil said you had a mess that needed cleaning?”

“Yes, thank you for coming,” Logan opened the door and led Remus inside. “I recently inherited this residence, but it’s hardly habitable. I was hoping to at least get everything cleaned up before I brought in the inspectors to make sure everything else was up to code.”

Remus nodded, looking carefully around the room. Logan showed Remus the living room where trash was piled on top of dirty furniture and wallpaper was peeling from the walls.

“Well, I’ve yet to be bested by a mess,” Remus said. “I can take care of things here. Are you looking to have the whole house cleaned or just some of it?”

“The whole house,” said Logan. They were in the kitchen now. Logan actually had to cover his nose because of the smell, but Remus seemed unfazed. “A full and thorough cleaning.”

“I can do that,” Remus pulled out a small notepad and began taking notes. “Now what about the furniture? If there’s any you want gone, I can take it out to the dump.”

“That would be appreciated,” Logan agreed. “There might be some that I’d like to keep. I’ll be sure to mark the pieces I don’t want.”

“Sounds good,” Remus nodded as he scribbled that down. “What about keepsakes or heirlooms?”

“Those have already been removed,” Logan said, leading Remus up the stairs. “Everything here is just trash I’d like removed.”

He turned around as he spoke, but froze.

Remus had stopped as well, and he was now holding a very angry cockroach. The little bug squirmed in Remus’s grip, but he held firm.

“_Periplaneta americana_,” Remus said, carefully examining the bug. “There will be a nest of these around here somewhere, but don’t worry, I’ll take care of that too.”

He let the roach go, and it flew off.

“So! Cleaning, trash removal, you’ll let me know what pieces of furniture to throw out. Some of the wallpaper is falling, and some of the carpets are showing signs of mold. Should I take care of that too?”

“U-um, yes please,” Logan shook himself out of the shock of seeing Remus so casually holding a roach. “If there’s mold I want to replace it later. As for the walls... do you also offer painting services?”

“Sure do,” Remus beamed. “You can either buy the paint yourself, or give me swatches and I’ll buy it.”

“Wonderful, I’ll need to get back to you on that,” Logan said. “So, what am I looking at in terms of price?”

“Hmm...” Remus began to scribble on his notebook, held tilting as he did mental math. He finally scribbled a number on a clean sheet of paper and handed it to Logan.

Logan’s jaw dropped.

“That much?!” He was shocked. “But... the other companies would charge twice this amount at minimum.”

“Well, you get the friends and family discount,” said Remus. “And anyway, I don’t do this for money, it’s just something to help me pass the time. I don’t do well when I’m idle. But if you want me to charge you more I will.”

“I...” Logan really was pressed for cash. Years of student living, and he’d only just started his job.

“Or...” Remus grinned. “I wouldn’t say no to a nice dinner with you.”

Logan raised an eyebrow. Dinner? With a stranger? He hadn’t dated in years, how could he accept?

But then again...

“Sure,” he finally said. “I’ll have dinner with you when you finish. Sound fair?”

“Sure does,” Remus smoothed down his mustache and winked. “Don’t worry, it’ll be my treat. I’ll cook you something nice. Anyway, with everything that needs to be done, I’d say it’ll take about... maybe five days to a week depending on what I find around here. I can start tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” Logan echoed, wondering what he’d gotten himself into. “I’ll leave the key under the mat.”


	158. Egos 5

“Thanks for coming by,” Mark smiled at Thomas. “Sorry we had to have the meeting here, my place is being fumigated right now.”

“No problem,” Thomas smiled back. “Always happy to talk about a collab. And it gives everyone a chance to meet.”

“TRASH JIM!”

The two looked over just in time to see two hyperactive figures come running and nearly tackle Remus to the floor.

“My boys!” Remus gave them both loud kisses on the head. “It’s good to see you again!”

“Again?” Thomas repeated. “How did you see them before?”

The Jim twins were clinging to Remus like baby koalas, making happy noises and nuzzling against him. 

“Wilford introduced us,” said Remus. “He’s like their adoptive father. I’ve been talking with them ever since, passing on my... eccectricities.”

“Wait... were you the one who told them to put dish soap in the dishwasher?” Mark frowned.

“How dare you accuse me of such a thing,” Remus huffed. “I merely posed the question to them. They did the rest themselves. So! What happened when you put the dish soap in the dishwasher?”

“Bubbles everywhere!” Said the Jim in the blue shirt.

“It was great!” Said the JIm in the grey shirt.

“And it took forever to clean up!” Mark growled. “Please don’t... pose anymore questions with them. They’ll actually do it.”

Remus didn’t answer. He merely cackled in glee as he ran off with the Jims.

“I’m going to apologize in advance,” Thomas said, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. “I can’t really control him...”

>>>

“Nice place,” Vixen was eyeing the decor of the manor. The place was huge, and more decadent than it had any right to be. It was the kind of place that made you feel like royalty, or at least like some famous celebrity.

But unbeknownst to Vixen, he was being watched.

Wilford Warfstache had heard of Vixen. Remus had always been happy to share stories of his family, and Wilford was eager to meet a fellow lover of the color pink. But Remus had failed to tell him just how gorgeous his brother actually was. Legs encased in pink stockings that went on for miles, elegantly painted face, slender frame beneath a coat of pink fur...

How could Wilford resist?

“Bully,” he said softly. He twisted the curl in his mustache and stepped out of his hiding spot. “You must be Vixen.”

Vixen paused and turned around, smiling at the newcomer. He’d never met Wilford before, but he’d heard Remus talk about him. The man was madder than a box of frogs and was a murderer, but Remus said underneath it all, he was a good man.

“I am,” said Vixen. “You must be Wilford. Remus mentioned you when he told us about the Mustache Gang.”

“And dear Remus mentioned you too,” Wilford walked closer. “But he didn’t tell me how... beautiful you are.” He summoned a pink rose to his hand and held it out to Vixen. Vixen took it and sniffed it.

“Thank you,” he said. “It’s lovely. And you’re very handsome too.”

He let his hand slowly trace over Wilford’s chest, looking up at the other through lidded eyes. Wilford was taller even with Vixen’s heels on, and he was much broader than Vixen’s slender frame.

“So strong,” Vixen purred, pressing against one of Wilford’s muscles. “I bet there’s a story there.”

“Oh there is,” Wilford let his own hand perch under Vixen’s chin, thumb gently brushing those painted ips. “Why don’t you accompany on a walk and I’ll tell you? Perhaps you’ll also... bare your soul to speak.”

“Maybe,” Vixen grinned and slowly began to shed his coat. “Is it warm in here? Ah, that’s much better...” he folded his coat over his arm, keeping it on hand in case he needed it. He was wearing a sleeveless pink and blue crop top and a black pair of shorts.

Wilford swallowed heavily as his eyes took it all in.

>>>>

“Awe, you’re so cute! Hello. Yes, you. You’re cute!” Tristan laughed as the squirrel chittered at him, scampering around his hands. 

“He likes you,” King of the Squirrels smiled. “I’ve never seen him warm up to someone so fast. You must have a good soul.”

“I dunno about that,” Tristan said as he fed the squirrel another nut. Another squirrel hopped over, climbing up Tristan’s back to perch on his shoulder. “I just really like animals. Oh hello,” he greeted the new squirrel.

“Maybe you can help me take care of them,” King said, passing out globs of peanut butter to his loyal subjects. “When you come over again. Always nice to have some help.”

“I’d like that,” Another squirrel was perched on top of Tristan’s head. He carefully moved his head so that the squirrel wouldn’t fall. “They’re so soft and fluffy! Little tree puppers!”

King beamed. Even if Tristan didn’t believe it, he could tell the other had a good soul...


	159. Adopted

A lot had changed.

None moreso than Roman.

Devlin remembered him when he was a child. A little brat who called them all monsters and fiends and who made Tristan cry. Of course, Devlin had always gotten the satisfaction of towering over the young prince and asking in his best growl if there was a problem.

That had always sent Roman fleeing.

But now it seemed that Roman had matured a bit. A bit, because he did still have a little bratty behavior, but not as bad as it had been once. And he did seem to be actively trying to tone down the mean insults.

Even better, he was also trying to repair his relationship with Remus.

All of this made Devlin happy. He hated discourse with a passion because it always caused his temper to flare, and he didn’t like getting so angry that he lost control or broke things. With Roman working on patching up the holes he’d caused, it brought about a new sense of peace.

And Devlin gained respect for Roman from it.

This was what led to Devlin’s decision.

He was watching a movie with Tristan and Roman. It was late, the movie was wrapping up, and they were getting sleepy. Every so often, Devlin’s eyes would flick over to Roman before returning to the movie. 

When it finally finished, Devlin stood and moved over to Roman. The other side regarded him in confusion as Devlin took a moment to look down at him. He then set his hand on Roman’s head.

“You’re my brother now,” Devlin said. He nodded as if that was that, ruffled Roman’s hair, and then walked off.

Roman’s confusion only grew as he looked over at a smiling Tristan.

“What just happened?” He asked.

“You just got adopted!” Tristan sounded excited. “Hooray!” He began to clap.

Roman blinked. That hadn’t helped his confusion at all.


	160. No

“Yes! I’m so close to paying off my debt with Tom Nook...” Tristan said as he played his Switch. “Maybe I’ll get another pet...”

“Hey there, Kiddo...”

Tristan foze and looked up. Patton was there, smiling nervously at him. Patton still made him feel a bit uneasy ever since he’d come back home, and it was worse that he was alone.

But he could handle this. Dr. Picani had assured him that everything was fine and Patton couldn’t send him away again.

“You, uh... playing your little game?” Patton continued. He sounded just as nervous as he looked. Tristan couldn’t help but wonder what had him acting this way. What was wrong?

“Yeah,” Tristan said, pausing said game. “I am.”

“Neato,” Patton walked a little closer, and Tristan fought the urge to move away. “So... I heard you managed to fuse with Vixen. That sounds pretty cool. Have you fused with anyone else?”

“I... I managed to fuse with Roman,” Tristan said softly.

“That’s great!” Patton perked up a bit. “So... I was wondering... would you maybe like to try fusing with me?”

Tristan blinked. Is that what this was all about?

“I-I mean,” Patton continued. “We were already the same person once. I bet we could fuse and make something really amazing! We’re bound to be compatible, right? So.. what do you say? You want to try fusing?”

Tristan blinked again. Was he serious?

Tristan had heard about what had happened to Remus and Roman. While it was true that Patton and Tristan had a bit more in common than the Creativtwins, they were still different. And anyway, Tristan couldn’t help the emotions that rolled over him. He felt... angry. Offended. And a few other things he couldn’t really explain.

**“No,”** he finally said. **"I don't want to fuse with you."**

Patton flinched. It was so weird to hear such a cold tone come from someone that was usually so full of warmth.

“Th-that’s ok, Kiddo.” He said, backing away slightly. “We don’t have to try if you don’t want to.”

“No we don’t,” Tristan stood up and turned to coldly regard the other. “You don’t need to tell me that.”

He started to walk away, but paused and turned back one more time.

**“And I’m not your Kiddo,”** he said. He turned back around and walked away.

Patton stared after him, feeling crushed. But even as he felt that way, a voice inside told him that he’d deserved it....


	161. Tie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry, but this idea would not leave me alone so I had to post it.

Logan had a lot of ties. Many, many, ties.

So many that he had a drawer dedicated just to them, all folded up neatly and organized by color. But of all the tie colors he had, there was only one green tie.

And really, how could Logan expect Remus to not steal that sole green tie? Green was his color. It was like waving a red flag in front of a bull and then getting gored by horns and stomped on by hooves until all your bones crumpled into dust and you had to be poured into your coffin.

At least, that’s what Remus claimed.

“Remus, please return my necktie,” Logan said, sounding annoyed at having to ask in the first place. Remus had slid the tie over his shoulders and was rubbing it against the back of his neck, fluttering it and playing with it like a showgirl.

“Green is my color,” said Remus. “You really should have known better than to try to hide this from me. Really, you have so many. Surely you could let this one go, Logi Bear...”

“That tie is mine and I would like it back,” Logan said, holding out his hand. His tone and stance resembled a mother trying to talk to her unruly child, and Remus certainly could be a very unruly child. Deceit could confirm that a thousand times over.

“You really want it so bad?” Remus taunted. He took the tie and shoved it down the front of his pants. “Come get it, big boy...” he wiggled his hips and cackled.

But then he was suddenly pinned to the wall.

Remus’s laugh broke off in a gasp and his eyes widened slightly. Logan was looking at him with the most dominant expression Remus had ever seen. For a moment, the whole rest of the world faded away and all was silent. All that existed was Remus and Logan.

Without breaking eye contact, Logan reached down and pulled his tie from Remus’s pants. Without saying a word, he turned away and walked off. Remus let out a loud wheeze as he slid down the wall.

“That... was hot as fuck,” he said to himself. Maybe he should steal Logan’s ties more often.


	162. Misery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Soupstarsandsilence.

It was another bad day. 

Tristan only left his bed so that he could sit on the comfy window seat and stare outside. Outside was all sunshine and happy chipring birds, but Tristan felt none of its warmth. He was once again numb, dead inside, disconnected from the world. 

But at least this time he had somewhere he could go. Maybe Roman would let him go lie in a field of flowers again. Maybe cuddle some cloud doggos. It probably wouldn’t help much, but it was better than nothing.

But of course it couldn’t be that simple.

“Roman is sick,” said Deceit. “I overheard Patton talking about it earlier. Nothing too serious, just a cold. But he is staying in his room for now.”

Tristan sighed, feeling even worse than before.

“I’m sorry, Tristan,” Deceit pulled the other into a hug. “You can come sit with us instead. We’ll put a movie on.”

Tristan shook his head.

“I want to do something else. I want to help Roman out. He... he helps me on my bad days, now I want to help him on his. That’s what friends do...”

Deceit seemed surprised, but he smiled and nodded. This was certainly an improvement. He helped Tristan make chicken soup and toasted bread, and they both arranged everything on a tray with some orange juice and a flower that Tristan had plucked from outside his window.

“If you change your mind, we’ll all be out here,” Deceit said as Tristan picked up the tray. “Don’t hesitate to come find us.”

“I won’t,” Tristan’s mouth twitched with an attempt at a small smile. “Thanks for your help.”

Tristan carried the food to Roman’s room and knocked before entering. The Prince was huddled up in his massive canopy bed while a tv was playing Moana. Roman sniffled as he looked over to see who had entered his room.

“Tristan?” He asked. “Are you ok?”

Tristan looked like hell. His sweater was wrinkled, his eyes had bags beneath them, his bangs had swept over his eyes, and his hair was a mess. Still, Tristan walked over and set the tray on the bed.

“I... I brought you some soup,” he said. “I heard that you were sick, so I... I thought I’d make you something to help you feel better. You know... since... since you help me feel better too.”

Roman slowly smiled, genuinely moved at Tristan’s actions. Tristan was having a bad day, but he was so concerned over Roman’s well being. Roman scooted over in his bed and pat the top of the covers. 

“Come sit with me for a bit,” he said. “What’s the phrase Edgelord is always saying? Misery loves company. And we could both use some companionship right now.”

Tristan hesitated, but he slowly crawled into the bed, slipping beneath the blankets and helping Roman sit up so that he could eat. Roman took a moment to admire the flower and then began to eat.

“I’ll try not to get you sick too,” he said, smiling softly.

“I’m already sick,” Tristan said, getting comfortable against Roman’s side. “It’s just that my sickness is in my mind instead of my body...”


	163. Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So begins the epic journey to find Julius's sword and shield.

“Why is he here?” Roman narrowed his eyes at his twin. Tristn frowned and poked Roman’s cheek.

“He was part of Julius too. He has every right to help us find what we’re looking for,” he said. “Now I expect the two of you to behave.”

“Why do you think we’ll behave, Tristie?” Remus chuckled.

“Because it will make me very sad if you two fight,” Tristan said in a serious tone.

Both twins froze.

“We’ll behave,” they said in unison.

“Great!” Tristan smiled and summoned an old notebook. “Now, I went digging through my old things and I found this notebook I kept in my darker days. It mentions a few places that used to exist during King Julius’s reign. You both said you had a map of your realms. We might be able to figure out where these places were, and hopefully the sword or shield are hidden in these places.”

He sat down with the twins and they began to compare their respective documents. 

“This place was where they had their harvest festivals,” Tristan said, reading over a passage in his notebook. “I remember I loved going because they had the most delicious food. In the fall, they would make this kind of stew that they served in little pumpkin gourds and the doggos were always munching on the pumpkin guts.”

“Harvest festivals?” Remus mused. “Hmm, not a bad idea, maybe I should do something like that.”

“Do your people even have fesitvals?” Roman raised an eyebrow.

“Of course they do,” Remus frowned. “What, because my subjects are monsters they can’t have fesitvals?”

“Guys...” Tristan looked up. “Stop. Now, this place was a huge open field and I remember it was...”

He looked between the two maps, trying to find something familiar. He spotted a rocky island out in the ocean that seperated the two realms and pointed to it. 

“This! I remember there was this mountain nearby. It was this exact shape. I remember thinking it looked kind of like a sundae. But then that would mean the field is now...”

“At the bottom of the ocean,” Roman finished. “And it’s in the neutral zone. No problem! I can get us a ship to take us out there.”

“And I can vanish enough water for us to look around,” said Remus. “I don’t want that ship getting too close to my waters. My mermaids are already complaining about your trade ships damaging their homes.”

“Mermaids?” Roman scoffed. “You mean those things that look like a fish was halfway through eating them and then gave up?”

“Guys!” Tristan frowned again. “Focus! Stop being mean to each other. Roman, that’s a good idea. Remus, that’s a good idea too. And I agree that we shouldn’t hurt the mermaids. Lyssa, Braylin, Porzyl, and Myandra are very nice to me. I don’t want to hurt them.”

He gathered up his notebook, but Roman spotted a few hearts drawn on several pages. He raised an eyebrow slightly, but said nothing.

But he felt that he should have a talk with Remus later. After all, he was part of Julius too...


	164. Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vixen shows off the skills Deceit taught him

“I don’t get it, why did lying come up in the first place?” Vixen asked. “Just tell them the truth and see how they react.”

“Thomas was the one who wanted to lie to them,” said Deceit. “I was just there to help him.”

“But...” Vixen looked confused. “But seriously, why not just tell them? There are so many ways they could have compromised.”

“Because breaking your word is wrong,” said Patton. “I’m proud that they were able to come to the right decision.”

Vixen frowned as he glanced over to Patton. He looked annoyed, but then... his expression slowly shifted into a smile.

“Patton, I’d like to pose a question,” he said. He plucked Deceit’s hat from his head and put it on his own. “A question of right... and wrong.”

Deceit looked annoyed at having his hat stolen, but then he began to smirk at Vixen’s words. He sat back and seemed to be waiting for something good.

“Uh... sure, Vixen,” Patton said. “What question did you have?”

“Let’s pretend that you’re getting married,” Vixen said, beginning to pace a bit. Logan glanced up from his book with wide eyes. He knew exactly where this was going. 

“You’ve sent out your invitations, chosen your cake, got your final alterations on your suit or dress done, and everything else is done. All that’s left is to show up at the ceremony and get hitched,” Vixen said. “But then... a friend of yours mentions that Thomas was talking about getting a callback on the same day of your wedding. Not just any callback. A callback with the biggest name in film making, a rare diamond of an oppurtunity that will skyrocket his career into the big leagues if its successful.”

“Actually diamonds are not that rare,” Logan spoke up. “Their price is just artificially inflated.”

Vixen smiled at the other.

“Thank you, Logan. Allow me to rephrase. A rare blue moon... (he glanced at Logan, who gave him a nod) a rare blue moon of an oppurtunity that will skyrocket his career into the big leagues if it’s successful.” 

Vixen stopped pacing and clasped his hands behind his back, looking Patton dead on.

“Now... as you suggested, no... as you vehemently and adamantly said... the right decision is for Thomas to go to your wedding. So of course, the right course of action is to just ignore what was said and make Thomas still come,” he said. “But... don’t you think that would be kind of selfish? Forcing your friend to give up such a chance just to come to your wedding? But then, that would put into question whether that choice is in fact the correct one. Take it a step further even. Say Thomas comes to you and explains the problem and offers a compromise. Again, you said the right course of action is for him to still come to your wedding. So again, you would tell him that you expect him to give up his chance and attend your wedding.”

Patton had paled a bit. He knew exactly where this was going. It was strange. No one had picked apart his decisions in this way before. 

“But again,” Vixen wasn’t finished. “Doesn’t that sound a bit selfish? So now Thomas cannot skip the wedding without being selfish, but it would also be selfish of you to expect him to come and skip his callback. So tell us... oh wise Patton... what’s the right choice now?”

He leaned in close enough that Patton could smell the honeysuckle spray he was wearing. Patton swallowed heavily, his senses and thoughts conflicting, swarming like angry bees and trying to find a solution.

“I... I don’t know,” he finally said. “When you phrase it all like that... I don’t know.”

“Exactly.” said Vixen. “Because there is no clean cut answer. The world, dear Patton, is not black and white, it’s...”

“Shades of grey!” Tristan happily raised his arms, showing off his grey sweater.

“Deceit taught us that years ago,” said Vixen. “And we learned it for ourselves many times as well. Perhaps you whould do well to learn it too.”

Patton was silent for a moment.

“I’m... I’m going to... I’m gonna go get dinner started,” he said, getting up and slowly walking into the kitchen.

“You’re all missing the bigger point, though,” said Tristan. Vixen raised an eyebrow, looking curious.

“What’s the bigger point?” He asked.

“If Thomas really didn’t want to go and was just going to be sad and play word crush on his phone...” Tristan said. “Should he really go if he’s just going to bring a lot of negative energy to what should be a positive and happy atmosphere?”


	165. Marriage 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remus makes his move...

Remus made good on his threat. He gave Roman three days to make a move to accept Juke’s betrothal, but he didn’t.

And so Remus felt that no one could blame him when he made his own move.

Juke was out at the nearby marketplace trying to alleviate his boredom, the merchants new him from the rumors circulating about him being engaged to one of the princes, but no one could decide which one it was. But even so, the merchants were nice enough to him, and no one stared at him for too long.

“Juke of House Boidae.”

Juke turned to see Remus standing there with a small wooden box in his hands. He was dressed very finely and smiling softly at him. His guards had backed up to give them some room.

This was the custom of their kingdom: announce your intentions in a public setting to show your conviction and present them with a gift. If the other accepted, more gifts would be presented over time as well as other tasks completed.

“I, Remus of House Sanders, Prince of the Creat Kingdom, do hereby offer this gift in the hopes that you will join me in a formal courtship. Your intelligence and beauty have both entranced me greatly.” he winked, his smile widening. “I have been informed by mu husband Logan that you have a passion for studying the creatures of our world, and I happen to have quite a collection. I’d like to offer you my most prized part of that collection.”

He held the bow out, and it took a moment for Juke to take it. Remus was announcing a courtship? With him? But Roman had already rejected him. Why was Remus so interested in him?

Juke’s hand shook only a little as he opened the box. Inside was a perfect snake skeleton, bones intact and perfectly cleaned and preserved. Juke gasped softly. It was a magnificent gift.

“I preserved it myself,” Remus said proudly. “I had some ants strip the bones and then cleaned and reassembled them myself. Do you like it?”

This man was... well, he certainly wasn’t Roman. He was weird and brash and unashamed and... charming in his own way.

“I...” Juke’s voice cracked, so he cleared his throat. “Remus of House Sanders... I, Juke of House Boidae... do hereby... accept your gift... and your offer. I will join you in a f-formal courtship.”

Remus’s face lit up with joy as the townspeople erupted into cheers. Remus walked closer and put his hands on Juke’s shoulders, looking excited and just so damn happy. 

Juke couldn’t help but blush softly. Never before had anything like this happened to him.


	166. Journey 2

Roman never thought he’d see Remus and Tristan recreate the iconic ‘I’m flying’ scene from Titanic while loudly singing My Heart Will Go On in a very off key tone, but here it was. 

Remus held Tristan from behind as they stood at the very front of Roman’s ship, belting out the mostly correct lyrics of the classic Celine Dion song (Tristan had mentioned that he didn’t much like her music).

The ship normally had a crew, but Roman had felt that this adventure should be kept between them, and so the ship was running itself. The large red sails were emblazoned with Roman’s insignia, and the figurehead was himself as well. It was one of many that Roman had.

Roman looked out over the ocean that stretched on for miles. In the distance, he could see Remus’s realm, but closer than that was the large mountain island that stuck out from the waves.

“We’re getting close,” he called from his spot. “Prepare to disembark. Remus, I trust you can get the water out of the way...”

Remus and Tristan had stopped singing and were laughing as they stepped off the platform they’d been standing on.

“Of course, dear brother,” Remus said, looking out at the ocean too. “No problem.”

“I’m so excited!” Tristan said. “It’s been so long since I’ve been here. I wonder if there’s anything left...”

“Maybe,” Remus ruffled Tristan’s hair. “No one’s been out here much. It’s neutral waters. Roman doesn’t want my subjects accidentally getting too close.”

“I’ve had enough sailors complaining of your ghost ships,” Roman said. 

“And I’ve had my subjects complain about your ships too,” Remus said. “I know the fish are bigger in my realm, but those nets are a pain in my ass...”

“Guys,” Tristan piped up from where he was leaning over the edge of the boat. “Stop... you’re ruining the atmosphere. This is suposed to be all happy and exciting.”

“Sorry, Bro...” Remus shrugged. “Now excuse me while I work my magic...”

He saluted Roman and then... literally threw himself over the edge of the boat. Roman rolled his eyes at Remus’s antics, already releasing the anchor. They were as close as they could get without damaging the boat.

There was a loud rumbling all around them, and the boat began to rock and tilt as the water beneath them began to shift. It simply moved from where it was to a further space all around the little island. Tristan yelped as he held on, the boat sinking lower and lower until it hit the bottom of the ocean. The water had moved away completely into a towering circle that surrounded them on all sides.

Remus smirked at them from where he was standing.

“Nice job, Moses,” Roman said as he got off the ship. Tristan followed, his movements not nearly as graceful, which caused him to slip and fall.

“I’m ok,” he got back up and dusted himself off.

“So... what are we supposed to be seeing?” Roman asked, looking around with his hands on his hips. It looked like normal ocean floor. Sand and rocks and little plants and oh, there were some dolphin bones over there...

“Hmm...” Tristan got onto his hands and knees and began to crawl around, moving his hands through the sand and rocks. Remus got down and began to copy him, and Roman did as well, lamenting the state his pants will be in when this was over.

“Ooh. OOH!” Tristan began to dig after a good while, hands a blur in the white sand. He slowly unearthed something, turning to show the twins.

It was a pumpkin.

“I was right!” he beamed. “This was the place they had their festivals. Maybe there’s more stuff buried here...”

“We’ll need to have this place excavated,” Roman mused. He’d started digging holes too, but he hadn’t found anything else.

“I call dibs!” Remus said. “My archaeologists can make quick work of this place. Roman, you can get the next one.”

“Unfair!” Roman said. “I want to excavate this place.”

“Guys, let’s flip a coin,” Tristan held the pumpkin under one arm and fished out a coin with his other hand. “Call it in the air.”

He flipped the coin while the twins called their side. The coin smacked into the sand, and Tristan looked at it. 

“Remus gets this one, Roman you get the next one. I get to keep the pumpkin because finders keepers.” Tristan picked the coin back up. 

Remus cheered while Roman grumbled.


	167. Odor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman and Virgil need to stop...

If there was one thing to say about Thomas’s Sides, it was that the competitve spirit was very strong in some of them. This is why family board games often devolved into threats and insults and excessive pouting.

Today the game was Uno, and it had been played enough that only two people remained: Virgil and Roman.

Patton and Logan had played too, but they had stopped a few games ago to do other things. But Roman was determined to keep going no matter what, and Virgil was the same way.

So they sat there clutching their cards and smirking at the other.

Roman knew he was losing. Virgil had fewer cards than him, and Roman only had a few good cards left. He had to do something to throw Virgil off his game.

“How about we raise the stakes of our little game?” He purred. “A punishment for the loser.”

Virgil tensed slightly, and Roman knew he’d made the right decision. But then Virgil was smirking back at him with a carefree grin.

“Agreed,” he said. “What did you have in mind?”

“The loser... has to...” Roman looked around, trying to find a suitable suggestion for a punishment. His eyes fell on his brother who was playing some new game called Doom Eternal, and his smile grew.

“Loser has to smell Remus’s boot.”

Virgil’s eyes widened. That... was more than a slight punishment. That was a death sentence. A task designed to purge the sins of a man hoping to get into Heaven. A cruel and unusual punishment born from some sicko’s twisted mind. While Remus kept his clothes in a semi neat state, and he took the time to every now and then wipe off the _outside_ of his boots, he never washed the _inside_ of his boots, and his feet... well, let’s say they could get very very sweaty.

But dammit if Virgil couldn’t stand that smug look Roman was giving him.

“Deal,” he said. He couldn’t back down now.

Roman blinked in surprise, and then he shrugged and gestured to the card pile. It was Virgil’s turn.

A few turns later, Roman was sweating. Virgil had way better cards than he had planned on, and it hadn’t taken long until Virgil was saying ‘Uno’ and making sniffing sounds with his nose. Roman had to do something to turn the game to his favor.

“Wild card,” he said, playing his last resort. “Color is yellow. Your move, Emo Before Chris-”

Virgil put down his last card, yellow color gleaming in the lights. Roman’s cards slipped from his hands as his voice choked. He’d lost. He’d lost to Virgil of all people. And now he had to...

“Hey Remus,” Virgil called to the other. “Come over here.”

Roman continued to look dazed as Remus paused his game and walked over. He glanced at between the two and knew something bad had happened.

“Take your boot off,” Virgil said. “Roman lost the game so he has to give it a good sniff.”

Remus was speechless as he looked at his brother, but then he burst into laughter. He doubled over, clutching his middle, tears now falling from his eyes. His laughter sounded near hysterical as Roman finally shook himself from his daze.

“Oh shut up, Elpha-bum,” he growled. “Just take your stupid boot off so that I can get this over with.”

“I can’t believe you lost to Virgil,” Remus chuckled, peeling off his boot. “and you lost now of all times. Whose idea was this anyway?”

“It ws Roman’s,” Virgil had placed his hands behind his head and was leaning back in his chair.

“Ouch, murdered by your own words,” Remus finally got his boot off, and already the sour smell of his foot was rising in the air. Virgil covered his nose while Remus offered his boot to Roman.

Roman could feel a wave of nausea run through him, and he debated on backing out. But no! Roman was no coward! Roman was a brave soul! He could do this!

He snatched the boot from Remus’s hand and took a deep smell.

And then he promptly blacked out.

When he finally woke up later, he was lying in his room with several fans going as well as his window opened. Logan was sitting next to him reading a book.

“Oh good, you’re awake,” he said, setting his book aside. “We were worried you’d done permanent damage.”

Roman’s head was pounding and he could smell something coppery in his nose. Slowly, he managed to sit up, and he noticed the faint taste of vomit in his mouth.

“What happened?” He asked. Logan handed him a glass of water.

“The stench of Remus’s boot caused you to faint,” he said. “And you also vomited and developed a nose bleed as the stench affected your sinus passages. We were able to clean you up and brought you in here for some fresh air to help get the stench away. You won’t be feeling well for a day or two, but you will recover with no lasting damage. But I do suggest you never do something so foolish again.”

Roman gave a dismissive wave as he sipped his water. He knew damn well he was going to do something stupid again in the future...


	168. Villain (spoilers!)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS FOR THE NEW SANDERS SIDES VIDEO! IF YOU DONT WANT IT SPOILED, CLICK AWAY AND COME BACK LATER. I'll save your spot for you, don't worry.
> 
> That being said, Wow, dat new episode. Oh, it does things to the heart. And it's given so so much potential for angst. Thomas hath filleth my angst cup and I love it.

“I don’t get it,” Tristan said. “Why are you so upset at Janus being heard and accepted? He’s like... the only one you still have a problem with. Why him?”

“Look, I don’t expect you to understand,” said Roman. “Janus is not good for Thomas. He’s evil! He’s going to ruin Thomas’s life!”

“You don’t know him like I do,” said Tristan. “He raised me after Patton tossed me aside. He was the one of the people who stayed by my side in my Dark Days. He was the one who patiently fed me soup or sat me in a tub and scrubbed me with soap. He held me and reassured me when I felt like there was nothing left worth living for. And you call him a monster?!”

“Oh, don’t get me started on Patton,” Roman rolled his eyes. “He’s a total Judas too. The Brutus that delivered the final blow to the great Caesar! Look, I know it’s hard for you to understand because you’re so close to him... but Janus isn’t good! He’s a monster!”

“Again, why is he the only one you have a problem with?” Tristan asked. “I’m way worse for Thomas than Janus is, but you have no problem with me.”

“You? Don’t be absurd,” Roman said. “You’re not nearly as bad. You’re so sweet and cute and... you’re not as bad as Janus.”

**Heheheheheheh...**

Roman froze, feeling a wave of icy terror rush down his spine. His hand went to the hilt of his sword.

The room was changing around him, growing darker and... it was losing its color. The sound dimmed until a deep uncomfortable silence fell. Roman spun around to look at Tristan.

**“You forgot who I am,”** Tristan said. he had changed too. He looked like a dark silhouette against the dim grey background, his eyes glowing grey.

**“You always forget who I am,”** he said. In the darkness, Roman could spot dozens of shadowy hands slowly reaching out for him. They were all around him! He pulled out his sword, but it cut through them as if they weren’t there. And then the hands were grabbing him, stealing his own color, his sash faded and washed out-

**“You’re so determined to see a monster in someone else... that you’re blind to the real monster in front of you...”** Tristan’s words were all Roman could hear as the hands swarmed him... and his vision slowly went black.


	169. Villain 2 (spoilers)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS FOR THE NEW SANDERS SIDES EPISODE

Roman awoke and quickly got to his feet. He managed to draw his sword and looked around.

But everything was some shade of black or grey.

“Where am I?” He said softly.

**“You’re here with me.”**

Roman spun around and held his sword up, ready to strike. The other figure looked like a living silhouette with two glowing grey eyes. The shadows were darkest around him and there were still those hands reaching out, moving sluggishly around him.

“Tristan,” Roman said softly.

“I don’t get you, Roman,” Tristan said. He was sitting on some kind of rock formation, hunched and slouched over, drumming his unnaturally elongated fingers and claws against his leg. “You claim to be a hero. You claim that Janus is a villain and that he’s evil. You call him a fiend. A monster.”

Tristan straightened slightly, and the shadows somehow grew darker, hands moving in a flurry of movement. Roman braced himself, but none came closer to him.

“I actually am a monster, Roman. This... this is my true form. A monster of shadow and despair. I am actually a monster, but you have no problems with me... or at least you didn’t before. Why are you so hung up on Janus?”

“I wouldn’t expect you to understand,” said Roman. He lowered his sword, but he did not sheathe it. “You see him in a radiant light. You see him as a protector. A savior. You only see his noble deeds... and you fail to see the malevolence within him. He is nothing but a snake waiting to strike the moment he lures you close enough. And he will do the same to Thomas. He will poison Thomas’s mind, and yet everyone seems to be on his side.”

“The problem isn’t that they’re on his side,” said Tristan. “The problem is that you think there are sides to begin with. You’re constantly peddling this ‘us vs. them’ mentality. We are all a part of Thomas. We all want what’s best for him-”

“Of course, because telling him to be selfish and think only of himself is such a virtue,” Roman rolled his eyes. “We can’t trust him.”

“You know, I’m going to quote Remus and say that this sounds like a you problem,” said Tristan. “For some reason, you’re the only one with any objections. At least, so far. Virgil hasn’t weighed in yet, and we’re not rushing him.”

“I highly doubt he’ll accept any of this,” said Roman. “He’s not exactly Deceit’s biggest fan.”

“Janus.”

Roman raised an eyebrow and Tristan huffed.

“He was brave enough to give you his name. You could show him the courtesy to use it,” said Tristan. “Or should I just call you Creativity?”

“And maybe I should just call you Depression,” Roman snapped back. “Since that’s all you seem to be good for. Maybe you are a monster like you claim. Maybe I was wrong about you!”

And just like that, Roman’s anger vanished and was replaced with guilt. He instantly knew that he had gone too far.

Tristan was shaking now, his hands covering his mouth, and a look of utter heartbreak in his eyes. As Roman watched him, he began to wheeze and gasp and sob and make the most awful noises Roman had ever heard. He began... to melt before Roman’s eyes. Melt into the shadows.

“Tristan, I-” Roman stepped forward, trying to say something. Say anything.

**“Don’t.”** Tristan twisted away. **“Don’t.”**

And then he was gone.

The room went back to normal, full of color and light, no trace of Tristan at all.


	170. Acceptance (spoilers)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS FOR THE NEW EPISODE OF SANDERS SIDES

Janus made his way back to the Dark Sides common room. He hung up his hat and cape on the hooks near the door, smile adorning his face. He felt as if he was walking on air. Finally, after so long, Thomas had accepted him as one of his sides. Janus was going to get a spot in the huddle.

Life was good.

Janus yelped when someone grabbed him and lifted him into the air. There was the sound of loud cheering and clapping, and Janus was perched on someone’s shoulder.

“Ja-nus! Ja-nus! Ja-nus!”

It was his family. Vixen, Remus, Tristan, and Devlin. Devlin’s shoulder was the one he was sitting on currently. Devlin bounced him and spun him, cheering joyously with the rest of them.  
“What’s all this?” Janus asked.

“You did it! You got accepted!” Vixen said. “We’re celebrating!”

“Way to go, Mama!” Remus blew on a noisemaker that looked suspiciously visceral. “We knew you had it in you!”

“You worked so hard!” Tristan was waving a small flag that had Janus’s insignia on it. “It’s about time you got the reward you deserved!”

“We’re baking you a cake,” Devlin said. He was wearing a little button on his shirt that said ‘Congrats Janus!’ in black and yellow colors. “Should be ready in time for dinner later so we can eat it later.”

“A cake?” Janus sounded dazed.

“Of course,” Devlin finally put him down. “What, you thought we weren’t going to celebrate when we heard what happened?”

“You had us all on thee dge of our seats,” said Vixen. “And oh, you should have heard us cheer when Thomas accepted you.”

“But... you haven’t been accepted yet,” said Janus. “How can you be happy for me?”

“Relax,” Remus said. “We have plenty of time to be accepted.”

“And we have better chances now that someone will be sticking up for us,” said Tristan. “We did hear about Roman, though.”

“Ah,” Remus huffed. “He was going to be upset no matter how it went. Don’t worry, he’ll come around. Eventually. Maybe.”

“Let’s not worry about that,” Vixen plopped a paper crown onto Janus’s head. “We should be celebrating Janus’s acceptance. No one has worked harder for it, and I’m glad you finally got it.”

Janus sniffled softly, feeling happy tears come to his eyes. He’d finally been accepted, his family was here to celebrate with him, and there would be cake later.

This... was the best day of his life.


	171. Babes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry this took so long to publish. I had completely forgotten I wanted to write this reunion too.

Remy hadn’t been by lately. Thomas’s sleep schedule had put him through the ringer, and so he’d taken some time to himself for recovery after he’d managed to help Thomas keep a healthier schedule.

“Morning, Babes!” He called out as he entered the Mind Palace. He sipped his frozen coffee, inhaling the smell of omlettes and pancakes. Patton did make good breakfasts. 

Remy barely paid attention to anything, making a beeline for the kitchen. He’d failed to notice how much bigger the Mind Palace was, and he’d failed to notice the bigger crowd of people in the kitchen. Granted, his eyes had been closed because he was yawning.

“Smells good, Patton,” he said, opening them again.

He froze.

There, in all his morning messed glory... was Vixen.

Remy gasped softly, removing his glasses to make sure he wasn’t seeing things. Vixen’s hands shook as he held his empty plate. Eventually, that fell and hit the floor, thankfully not shattering.

Remy tossed his coffee aside and lunged, pulling Vixen into the tightest hug he’d ever given.

“Vixen!” Remy shrieked, tears welling up in his eyes. He began to sob into Vixen’s shoulder, the pink side holding him close and crying softly too.

“Remy...” he gasped. “I missed you so much.”

“I can’t believe you’re back,” Remy looked up to see Tristan and Devlin sitting at the table. Devlin smiled and Tristan gave a small wave. Remy broke the hug and leaned over to press a kiss to Tristan’s hair. Devlin reached over and rubbed Remy’s shoulder, offering comfort. Remy responded with a weak one armed hug, his other hand still gripping Vixen.

“You’re all back,” Remy sniffled and scrubbed at his eyes with his jacket sleeve. “When did you get back?”

“A few days ago,” said Vixen. “Thomas and some of the others rescued us.”

“I missed you babes so much,” Remy smiled. “It hasn’t been the same without our tea parties.”

“We need to have one soon,” said Vixen. “You have to tell me what happened while I was gone. Spill all the juicy gossip.”

“I’ll bake cookies for your tea,” said Tristan. “Those chocolate peanut butter ones that Remy likes.”

“You still remember,” Remy chuckled, still sniffling. “I’m so happy that you’re all back. We have to have a sleepover. All of us.”

“Sounds fun,” Devlin shrugged. “I can do a sleepover.”

“Yay!” Tristan clapped happily. “Sleepover with Remy!”

“But before that, a tea party,” Vixen said, pulling Remy close again. “i want to hear everything.”


	172. Switch (spoilers)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SPOILERS FOR THE NEW SANDERS SIDES VIDEO!
> 
> Based on an idea I had where Roman decides to become a Dark Side to show Thomas why it's a bad idea to trust them.

Remus had been working on another project in his room when Roman interrupted him. Remus looked up and smiled at Roman’s angry expression.

“Oh hey, Roman! What brings you to my cesspool?”

But Roman didn’t answer. He simply stomped over to Remus, his expression darkening more and more. Remus blinked, feeling that something was not right.

“You!” Roman roared. He grabbed Remus by the collar of his tunic and shoved him into the wall. “I have had it with you Dark Sides trying to worm your way into Thomas’s life and decisions! Virgil may not have been that bad, but now Thomas wants to listen to the snake! How long until he’s listening to you and leaping out of moving cars or drawing murder porn?”

Remus rolled his eyes.

“Is that what this is all about?” He asked. “How many times do we have to tell you that we just want to help Thomas too-”

“Shut up!” Roman’s eye twitched. “I know yout tricks and your games. I know what you want to do. You’re all lying and manipulating us so that you can overthrow us! Well... I think it’s time for Thomas to see you as you truly are. If he’s so willing to trust a dark side, I’ll show him what he’s getting into. If he’s smart... he won’t ever trust any of you again.”

Remus paled, his breath hitching.

“R-Roman... you’re scaring me. W-What are you going to do?” He began to struggle against Roman’s hold. The prince’s grip was too strong, his rage fueling his actions.

“I can’t become a new Dark Side because you’re already his Bad Creativity. But if that snake wants to compare us... then it won’t be hard if we were too... switch places,” Roman growled.

“No!” Remus began to thrash. “No! Roman! **Roman, WAIT!”**

But then Roman struck and everything went black.

When Remus finally did wake up later, everything hurt. His head was pounding, and his body ached all over. When he tried to open his eyes, everything was far too bright.

He hissed in pain and clenched his eyes shut, rolling over onto his back to wait for try again.

After the third try, his eyes finally managed to stay open.

This... this was not his room. Roman must have dumped him here.

Remus staggered to his feet, using a nearby table for support. He glanced into a nearby mirror to see if Roman had damaged his beautiful face-

And then he nearly screamed, but the sound came out as a choked gasp.

That... that _couldn’t_ be him!

The dark shadows around his eyes were gone. His hair was combed, swept to the side and slicked with gel. His mustache was neatly trimmed and groomed.

And his outfit...

Gone were the eyeballs and human teeth. His sash was still green, but the rest of his outfit was white and silver and _clean._ The blood stains were gone. The questionable stains were gone.

In his panic, he’d drawn his morning star.

Well, at least _that_ was still the same.

Had Roman succeeded? Had he really switched their roles? Was Remus now... a Light Side? This... this couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be happening!

Remus gripped his hair in distress, wheezing his breaths and trying not to just break down. But then he noticed something that terrified him more than the others...

His mind was completely silent.


	173. Heard

“Ooh...” Tristan fidgeted with his sleeves. “I’m sorry, but I dunno what else we can do.”

Thomas had called a huddle, but so far only Tristan and Roman had been summoned. The problem? Thomas’s mental health had been wavering and interfering with his projects. He’d summoned Roman and Tristan to help him figure out how to find a balance between creativity and his health.

“Hang on,” Tristan perked. “I know who to call. Hey, Pluto!”

He summoned Logan, the logical side looking around in surprise. He’d thought he wasn’t needed in this one.

“Logan, we need your help, please,” said Tristan. “Roman and I can’t decide on a good schedule to help everything balance out. You’re very good at this stuff. What should we do?”

Tristan had dug out his own notebook and pencil, ready to take notes if needed. Logan blinked at him before shaking himself out of his thoughts.

“Yes, well...” Logan summoned a whiteboard and some markers, neatly drawing out a timetable and slowly filling it in. Thomas couldn’t help but watch his other sides. Tristan was diligently taking notes or asking good questions, always raising his hand first.

Roman, on the other hand, acted like he usually did.

“That’s absurd,” he said, interrupting Logan filling in another block. “He needs more time to brainstorm-”

“Roman,” Tristan said firmly. “Logan is talking right now and it’s rude to interrupt. Please wait your turn.” He looked back at Logan. “Please continue, Logan.”

Thomas raised an eyebrow at that. He’d never heard a side call Roman out for interrupting before. Maybe he should summon Tristan more often.

“There,” Logan stepped back, capping the marker. “I think this is as balanced as I can get it.”

“Hmm...” Tristan walked over to stand next to him, Roman doing the same. The two looked it over, and Thomas had to admit it was a good schedule. While it wasn’t perfect, it was doable, and he appreciated the effort put into it.

“This is-” Roman started.

“Great!” Tristan finished for him. “You did a really good job, Logan. Thanks so much for your help. You’re so cool...” He beamed at the other.

“Yeah, Logan,” Thomas smiled too. “Thanks for your help.”

“O-Oh, it was no trouble,” Logan chuckled nervously and adjusted his glasses. “Always happy to help.”

He sunk out, leaving the others to look over the schedule.

“Hmm...” Roman glanced over the color coded blocks. “It’s good, but I think it would be better if we switched...” he raised his hand to change the schedule.

Tristan’s hand shot out so fast Thomas almost didn’t even see it move. Tristan had grabbed Roman’s wrist and slowly lowered it back to his side.

“It’s fine just the way it is,” he said. “Don’t touch it. I’ll know if you do...”

Roman couldn’t help but sense a threat prowling around those sentences...


	174. Education

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING FOR TALK ABOUT MATURE THINGS. BUT NOTHING GRAPHIC IS SAID OR SHOWN.

“Did someone at least teach you the difference between ‘having sex’, ‘making love’, and ‘fucking’?” Vixen asked.

“Language!” Patton called from the kitchen.

Vixen flipped him off without even looking, keeping his attention on Thomas and Logan. Vixen had been trying to figure out how much Thomas had learned about doing the dirty, and how much he still needed to learn. Vixen may not have been there when it counted, but he was going to make sure to teach Thomas all that he could.

“Um... no,” Thomas said after a few moments of thought. “No one’s taught me that.”

“Aren’t those all the same thing?” Logan asked.

“No they are not, and bite your tongue for saying that,” Vixen said, pointing at Logan. “However, your ignorance is not willful... and you are cute, so I retract that last bit. Your tongue can stay unbitten... for now.”

Logan cleared his throat and looked away, but Thomas could swear that he saw a pink tinge to Logan’s cheeks.

“In a sense, you are technically correct,” Vixen continued. “But only when you strip those phrases down the barest of bones, or in this case bon_ers_. It’s like saying ‘tossing a ball’ and ‘throwing a ball’. In a sense, they are the same, but at the same time they aren’t.”

He summoned a whiteboard and drew a line, marking it in three places: the middle, and the two ends.

“So... in the middle we have ‘having sex’,” Vixen wrote that on the board. “Having sex is just what it says. Maybe you’re trying a new position, maybe you’ve got nice lingerie on, but otherwise it’s plenty vanilla.”

“Vanilla?” Tristan just happened to be walking by at that time. “Are we having ice cream?”

“No Tristan, we’re not,” Vixen smiled and booped Tristan’s nose. “But there should still be some in the freezer if you want some.”

“I’ll save you some,” Tristan smiled back. “Hi Thomas, hi Pluto,” He waved at the others as he walked off. Thomas and Logan waved back.

“Now then, on one end of the spectrum, you have ‘making love’,” Tristan turned back to the white board, scribbling on one end of the line. “Making love is all about the emotion. Heart and soul stuff. This is where you’re going slow, you have the rose petals and the lit candles, you’re doing this properly on a bed. You’re going slow, whispering praises and sweet nothings and just worshipping each other. It’s a lot more emotionally charged and it can be really great if you really love your partner or partners.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Thomas said. “I mean, I guess I should have figured that out.”

“Oh trust me, never assume things when it comes to sex,” said Vixen. “Communication is very important. A lot more important than some people think. Anyway, on the other end of the spectrum, we have... fucking.”

He cackled to himself as he labeled the other side.

“Oh dear,” Thomas smiled nervously. “I’m guessing that’s where the... wilder things are.”

“Oh my sweet summer child,” Vixen smiled and winked. “You’re correct. This side is more about physical touch. More primal and feral. You’re just letting your body tell you what to do and chasing the pleasure. This is where you get into fetishes and kinks and the like.”

“This also where communication is most important,” said Logan. “Things like bondage and kink negotiation require communication from both parties. While some are under the impression that... engaging in activities this side of the spectrum are improvised and done without thought, it could not be further from the truth.”

“Very good, Logan,” Vixen bit his lip. “Gold star for you today.”

Logan cleared his throat again, much louder this time, and once again looked away.

“Anyway, this is just the general outline,” Vixen said, gesturing to the board. “You can easily engage in any spaces between these as long as you do so responsibly. Consent and communication is mandatory. After care is too. And you should never be afraid to explore things. Exploring is perfectly healthy.”

“Wow,” Thomas chuckled. “Well... I don’t really have anyone that I’m... seeing, so to speak. But I am grateful for the lesson. Thank you for sharing this with me. I’ll be sure to come to you if I have any questions.”

“Thank you, Thomas,” Vixen vanished the whiteboard. “Logan, you’re welcome to come to me if you have any questions too.” He started to walk off, but lingered by Logan’s side.

_“Or if you’d like a demonstration,”_ he whispered into Logan’s ear.

Logan squeaked and promptly sunk out, much to Thomas’s confusion.


	175. Open

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one was a tumblr prompt, but I thought I'd share it here
> 
> WARNING FOR PANIC ATTACKS!

The day started just like any other day.

Vixen woke up to his alarm, hit snooze twice, and then finally woke up. His hair was disheveled, his face was lacking makeup (any beauty guru worth their salt knew that you don’t sleep in makeup), and he had eye boogers.

A quick face wash in the bathroom and a change of clothes saw him looking a bit more put together. For now, it was time for breakfast. Janus had promised French toast and hashbrowns.

Vixen yawned as he gripped the door knob and pulled.

And pulled.

And pulled.

Odd, the door seemed to be stuck. Vixen wiped his hand off on his pants, thinking some leftover moisturizer wasn’t letting him grip the doorknob properly. With his hand dry, he tried again.

Still, the door wouldn’t budge.

Vixen struggled with the door for a few minutes, even going so far as to brace his foot against the wall and use his whole weight to really pull.

But the door still wouldn’t budge.

Vixen sighed in frustration and knocked on the door instead.

“Janus?” He called. “Devlin? Is anyone out there? My door’s stuck.”

He waited a few minutes to see if anyone would come, but no one did. Vixen sighed again and pulled out his phone to send a text.

**Delivery failed.**

Vixen tried again.

**Delivery failed.**

Now his phone was busted too.

He dialed Janus’s number and put the phone to his ear.

_We are unable to complete your call. Please try again later._

Great... a busted phone as well as a busted door.

He knocked on the door and called out again.

Still, no one came.

Vixen was feeling a bit nervous now. There was no other door for his room, and this one was refusing to open. And he had no way to contact anyone...

He tried his phone again.

_We are unable to complete your call. Please try again later._

With a growl, Vixen tossed his phone onto this bed.

He went back to the door and hammered on it hard with his fist.

“Guys, if this is a joke, it isn’t funny!” He called out. “Just open the door!”

The lightbulb in his lamp flickered, threatening to plunge the room into darkness.

Ok, he was a little more scared now.

“Janus! Devlin!” Vixen was hammering even harder on his door, using both fists. “Tristan! Someone! Please help! My door won’t open!”

The lightbulb flickered again. Vixen went back to pick up his phone. Maybe he could try again. This time he dialed Devlin’s number.

And then his phone promptly shut off.

“What the? No. Nonononononono.” Vixen hurriedly tried to restart it. He pressed the power button, took the battery out and put it back in, plugged it in to the wall...

Nothing. It stayed dead.

Vixen made a choked noise, almost a gag. His heart was beating fast now, pounding in his chest. His breaths were becoming more and more labored. This was a joke. It had to be a joke. They were going to open the door and then everything would be fine.

A joke. Just a joke...

He waited on his bed, the light still flickering every now and then. They’ll come. They’ll open his door. They’ll... they’ll... it’ll be ok...

It was so quiet. Vixen hadn’t even realized it. Even by now, he should be hearing someone else in the hall. He should be hearing noises from the kitchen downstairs. He should... shouldn’t he? How long had it been since he’d woken up? A few minutes? A few hours? he couldn’t tell without his phone...

It was fine! Everything was... just... fine. He was ok, it hadn’t been that long. Someone would be along any minute now.

God, but it was so quiet.

No, it was ok. Just wait. You’ll see. Someone would be along soon...

Vixen’s eye twitched, staring at the door so hard it almost hurt. Willing someone, anyone, to walk by so that he could call on them. He was ok. It was all ok.

_What if no one comes?_

Vixen flinched, choking again. Someone would come.

_We’re trapped here! They’ll forget about us and we’ll die like Pan and Morey did!_

No, that wasn’t true! Janus would never-

_Janus couldn’t save them. Think he can save you?_

It... it wasn’t true...

Vixen was breathing even harder now, nearly gasping for breath. Why was it so stuffy in here? It was suddenly so cold and hot at the same time. Did it get darker? Were the walls closer?

His limbs were shaking now, feeling numb as he slid further into terror.

POP!

The bulb finally went out, plunging the whole room into pitch black darkness.

Vixen screamed. He screamed so hard he nearly choked on it. Launching off the bed, he threw himself at the door. He pounded on it with all of his might, screaming for help. Sobbing hysterically, he pulled at the doorknob again. Still, the door wouldn’t open.

In his desperation, Vixen began to throw his weight against the door, trying to break it down. He did it over and over until his side was bruised and sore. He began to claw at the door, manicured nails scratching against the wood. Soon, his nails were broken and bleeding, leaving red stains on the gouges his door now sported.

Vixen was wheezing now, feeling weak and shaky from lack of air. He had to keep going. He had to get help! But he couldn’t scream anymore. His voice had given out, reducing him to hoarse wheezes and whimpers. His movements slow until he sunk to the ground, thudding against the carpet as his body gave out.

He tasted acid in his mouth, letting it drool out from between his lips. He couldn’t do much more now.

“Please...” he managed to whisper as eyes fluttered shut. “P-Please... someone h-help... m-me...”


	176. Mothers Day

"Happy Mothers Day!"

Janus smiled as he came downstairs to a relatively clean living room. It wasn't spotless, but such a standard was near impossible. Today was one of the few days the other's would clean up their mess.

"Yes, today is my day," Janus spread his arms. "Pamper me with praise and foot rubs."

"Vixie has a bath ready for you," Tristan hugged him. "With candles and bubbles and that rosy bath bomb you like. It smells so good in there!"

Janus did love that bath bomb. It was one of the few things that made him blep in happiness.

"And we have a little nest set up for you on the couch for later," Devlin said, washing the dishes from breakfast. "You can pick out a movie for us to watch."

"There's also a cake," Vixen said, removing the oven mitts from his hands. "Red velvet, your favorite."

"And gifts!" Remus gestured to the pile of gifts on the table. "All for you!"

Janus smiled widely. No matter how many years passed, he was still touched by how much effort they put into this day...


	177. Journey 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins stumble upon a dark event from Julius's past...

This time, they were in a clearing

“I remember this place,” Tristan said as they walked around. “I used to come here to pick flowers and play with the bunnies...”

The forest was now gloomy and full of dead trees. But, it was in Remus’s kingdom so it was to be expected.

“It still has bunnies,” Remus said. “Just not the kind you played with.”

Roman shuddered. He did not want to think about what bunnies would be here.

“Found anything yet?” Remus asked, following after Tristan. He’d wandered into a cluster of trees on the edge of the clearing. It was dense with vines and thorny bushes and the like, but Remus pushed past-

Oh.

Was... was that a dragon skeleton?

“What’s going on?” Roman came up from behind, and he also froze at the sight. Tristan was next to the skeleton, gently rubbing the top of the skull and looking sad.

“What... what is this?” Roman asked. Both brothers looked to Tristan for an answer.

Tristan was silent for a moment, and then he sighed.

“His name was Ember Scales. He was a dragon that Julius created.”

“Ah,” Roman smiled. “No doubt he was created as a foe for Julius to slay. A worthy adversary-”

**“Hush.”**

Roman choked, falling silent at Tristan’s tone and glare. Remus had known better than to speak at all.

“Tristan...” he said softly. “Who was Ember Scales?”

Tristan stopped rubbing at the dragon’s skull and moved around to the the dragon’s back.

“Ember Scales was a dragon that Julius created,” he said. “I never found out why he was created. Julius just wanted a dragon, I suppose. But he wasn’t careful in creating him. He didn’t pay attention to what he was doing. He neglected Ember Scales after he came to life. Ember Scales grew bigger and stronger, and Julius’s control over him eventually broke...”

Roman swallowed thickly. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

“Ember Scales went on a rampage. So many people died. Whole villages were slaughtered and eaten. Whole forests were set ablaze,” Tristan continued. “Julius now had no choice but to kill his creation. And he did. I never knew that this was Ember Scales’s resting place...”

He emerged from behind the skeleton, clutching what looked to be an old spear, and looking angry.

“What happened after that?” Roman asked.

“It was the first time I was ever really angry at Julius,” Tristan seemed lost in thought. “The first time I ever yelled at him. I told him that it was his fault for not being careful with Ember Scales’s creation. That Ember Scales was dead because he didn’t take care of him. I was enraged.”

“Did you guys ever make up?” Remus asked, sounding curious.

“I didn’t speak to him for a month,” Tristan said, walking around the skeleton again. “Janus and the others refused to let him downstairs to see me. But... Julius found out that Pan was willing to deliver messages to me... for a price. Julus bribed Pan to tell me that he was sorry or deliver little letters and gifts to me. Pan didn’t care what happened, he just wanted more of what Julius was offering him. I remember when it was over, he had quite the hoard of valuables. Julius had given him silver coins, precious gems, exotic furs... he even gave Pan one of his spare crowns.”

Remus and Roman’s eyes widened. Julus had given up a crown? A crown?! Just to get a message to Tristan...

“I made him swear on his life and his kingdom to never let this happen again,” Tristan said, stopping at the dragon’s head again. “To always be careful with his creations and always pay attention to them. So that no one else had to die like this. And he kept his word for the rest of his life...”

He turned towards the twins with a steely gaze.

“Let this be your warning,” he said. “Don’t ever think that nothing can go wrong. That nothing is above your control. Lest you end up regretting it like Julius did...”

“I swear,” both twins said at the same time.

They were silent for a while.

Remus then stomped his foot and a green banner appeared, hovering in the air.

“He deserves a proper burial,” he said. “I’ll gather a team to take care of it. We’ll give him a proper headstone and everything.”

“Thanks,” Tristan smiled. He held up the old spear. “Sorry there’s no sword or shield, but this was Julius’s too. You guys can have it.”

“Why don’t you keep it?” Roman suggested. “I feel like you have more right to it.”

Tristan blinked in surprise, but then he blushed slightly.

“Thanks. Both of you. I’m glad you brought me on this adventure...”


	178. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A conversation between Emile and Tristan during his Dark Days
> 
> WARNING FOR SUICIDE IDEALIZATION AND MENTIONS OF SUICIDE AND DEPRESSION

“Why haven’t you given up yet?” Tristan asked softly, bundled in his blankets. “Why are you still here?”

Emile smiled softly, sitting next to Tristan on the edge of his bed.

“Maybe because I feel like there is a better ending for you,” he said. “And you just... need help getting there.”

“What other ending could there be?” Tristan looked away. “I’m not going to get better. I’m Thomas’s Sorrow. How can I get better from that? I just... I don’t want to be here anymore...”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Emile said. “I think you want to live. I think you want to stay. I think... you just want the pain to stop.”

Tristan was silent, and his shoulders hunched a bit.

“That’s often the case with people who contemplate suicide,” Emile continued. “It’s not that they want to die, it’s that they want to escape. Escape their situation, escape their pain, escape their sorrow or fear. And sadly... they think the only way out is through death. But if any other escape route presented itself, perhaps they would choose that instead.”

Tristan sniffled softly, rubbing at his teary eyes. It was true. He just wanted the pain to stop. He didn’t want to feel like this anymore. But how could he get better? There was no getting better from this...

“I know things look grim,” Emile slowly rubbed Tristan’s shoulder, the other letting him do so. “I know they do. And I wish you didn’t feel this way. But I am not going to give up on you. Life is not a single road. There are many twists and bridges and obstacles. There are many ways that it can end, the path branches off so many times... You’ve been stuck on this road for so long, but... why not believe that a new path may be coming up?”

“How do you know a new path will?” Tristan asked.

“I don’t,” Emile shrugged. “But then, how do you a new path won’t? Only way to find out... is to wait and see. Every day is a new day. It brings new possibilities. But the only way we can find out what it will bring is to keep going.”

Tristan was silent save for his sniffles. Emile was painting such a beautiful picture for him. Could it really be like that? Could things change and get better? Could... could there be...

“Could there be... hope for me?” He asked slowly, looking at Emile. 

“There is always hope,” said Emile. “Sometimes it’s still a seed and you must wait for it bloom. But it will never bloom if you don’t let it. And you will never see it bloom if you decide to end things now. It can be a painful waiting game. But.. you already know how your path will end if you choose death. Why not... try to see how it will end if you let that hope bloom? I bet it would end much better...”

Tristan thought about it. Emile did have a point. He knew what awaited him if he decided to let himself fade away. But it wasn’t just himself that he was worried about.

“I don’t... I don’t want to harm anyone,” he said, tears starting up again. “I don’t want to hurt Thomas, but I feel like that’s all I can do!”

“You don’t have to hurt anyone,” said Emile. “You are not defined by your role. And anyway, Sorrow is not what hurts us. Sorrow is the result of what hurt us. Sorrow is the warning sign that our mind is upset over something. Just like how pain is the warning sign that our body is injured.”

Why did Emile have to make so much sense? Why did he have to stoke those embers into a small fire of hope? Why did Tristan want to try?

“I...” Tristan swallowed heavily. “I want... t-to... I want to stay.”

Emile could barely mask his sigh of relief. 

“We’ll be with you every step of the way,” he said. “All of us. And if you need help, we will be there for you. I promise.”

Tristan had his doubts. The pain was still there. But underneath it all... he could feel that seed of hope.


	179. Author

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Am I projecting with this chapter? Perhaps...

Virgil knew he was Thomas’s anxiety. And as he’d said before, it was different for everyone else. But somehow, he could always pick out who was meant to represent anxiety from a group.

This group was huddled around a figure that was curled up in bed. They all looked the same, except for minor differences. But he could pick out anxiety, this one wore dark clothes and had a dark undercut. She was sitting in the corner, looking guilty.

“That’s far enough,” said a voice. 

Virgil flinched and looked over to see someone approaching him. 

“We know who you are,” she said. This one had a long braid and wore the guise of a viking. “And we know that you should stay far away from her.”

“Is...” Virgil glanced at the figure on the bed. “Is she ok?”

“I am her Wanderlust,” the figure sighed. “And I know little of the human body. She’s... she’s doing better, but it will take time until she’s ok again.”

“But it was very nice of you to come check on her,” said another figure. This one had curls and wore a flowing dress. “Thank you.”

“Don’t worry, she’s in good hands,” said a figure who an old nurse’s uniform. 

Virgil nodded slowly and then smiled.

“We’re all glad to hear it,” he said. “And we hope she... she gets to be ok again soon.”


	180. Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tristan makes a new friend...

Tristan was picking flowers in the Imagination. 

It was a beautiful sunny day. The birds were singing, the deer were scampering around, and the butterflies were flying around. It was a great day, according to Tristan. And he didn’t say that often. Today he actually felt happy, not as much weighed down by his depression. And he intended to not waste this day. 

He was kneeling and picking some very colorful wild flowers when a shadow suddenly fell over him. 

“Hmm?” Tristan looked up to see... a dragon? A woman? 

It looked like a tall woman who had multi colored scales on her face and in splotches on the rest of her body. Her eyes were reptilian, glowing bright green, and she wore a very pretty dark blue dress. Tristan had never seen her before. 

“Hello,” he smiled, standing up. 

“You are Roman’s friend, aren’t you?” the woman asked, leaning down to look closely at him. She had a slight snout to her face, reminding Tristan of a lizard. 

“Yeah, are you?” Tristan replied. He tilted his head curiously. He’d really never seen her before. Who was she? How did she know Roman? The woman grinned, revealing a pair of fangs. She straightened up to her full height and Tristan gasped. 

“Oh wow, your scales!” He said in awe. “They’re shining in the sun. They look like those stained-glass windows. So pretty!” 

“What?” The woman seemed surprised at his reaction. “You think...” 

“Are you related to Janus?” Tristan asked. “He has scales too, but his don’t have as much color as yours. Oh, but you’re so pretty...” 

The woman blinked and then shook her head. 

“Never mind,” she grabbed Tristan by the arm. “You could prove useful. You’re coming with me.” 

“Ouch,” Tristan looked at the long claws that were gripping him by the elbow. “Ow, wait, that’s hurts. Let’s see... there. Much better.” 

Now they were holding hands. 

“Where are we going?” Tristan asked. “Are you lonely? I used to be lonely, so I know it’s not fun. I’ll be your friend today if you need one! It’s always good to have a friend.” 

He picked another flower from the ground and offered it to the woman. She took it with a shaking hand, looking guilty as Tristan beamed at her. 

It was a few hours later that Roman burst through the door of an isolated house in the woods. 

“Fear not, Tristan! I have come to save you from the Dragon Witch!” He raised his sword high- 

“Hi, Roman!” 

Roman faltered and looked over to see Tristan smiling and waving from a table. The scaled woman was sitting next to him, nursing a cup of tea and very pointedly not looking at Roman. 

“Tristan?” Roman walked over. “Are you ok, Tristan? Did this monster hurt you?” 

“Roman, that wasn’t a nice thing to say,” said Tristan. “Apologize to Phina.” 

“Apologize?!” Roman repeated. 

Tristan gave Roman a very pointed look and crossed his arms. Roman sighed. 

“I am sorry... Phina?” He said slowly. He didn’t know the witch had a name. 

“Thank you for letting me have lunch with you today,” Tristan hugged Phina close. “You make really good tea. I’ll come back for more another day, ok? I promise. I’ll help you not be so lonely.” 

“Um, Tristan?” Roman looked between the two, watching the dragon witch smile and rub her claws through Tristan’s hair. “Could you wait outside, please?” 

“Bye, Phina,” Tristan said, waving as he left. 

When the door closed, Roman raised an eyebrow at the witch. 

“You kidnapped him?” He asked. 

“I tried to,” Phina sighed. “But he has... a very powerful magic about him that prevented me. I just... I couldn’t bring myself to hurt him. He’s... he’s too precious. Too kind for this wretched world.” 

Roman snorted in amusement, and Phina hissed at him. 

“Well... I’m glad that Tristan was not harmed. And I’ll thank you to keep those wicked claws to yourself.” 

“I wouldn’t dare harm a hair on his head!” Phina snarled. “And if he should come back, I will entertain him just the same.” 

“I have a feeling he will,” Roman sighed. “Only he can make friends with a dangerous dragon witch...”


	181. Words

“When you meet the right person, you must shower them in love and affection. Make sure they know how much you love them.” Roman was saying.

Thomas was sitting on the couch and taking notes, soaking up all the information he could from his fanciful side. In the kitchen, Tristan was busy making his famous Big Happiness ice cream. He felt today was a good day where he deserved a nice treat.

“Tell him that you would die for him!” Roman said, and Thomas wrote that down.

“What?” Tristan had only been half listening, but now he carried his bowl out of the kitchen and into the living room. “No, don’t say that.”

“What?” Roman sounded confused. “Why shouldn’t he say it?”

“Because it’s weird and creepy,” said Tristan. “No one wants to hear that. That’s not how you declare your love. I mean, maybe back hundreds of years ago when it was a very real possibility that you might have to die for someone in the name of love or loyalty, but those days are over and now it’s just creepy.”

Roman tilted his head. He supposed Tristan had a point. Most of the things Roman said were sometimes a bit... old fashioned.

“Well, then what _should_ he say?” He asked.

Tristan blinked as Thomas looked at him, pencil poised over the notebook. Tristan blushed a light grey as he fidgeted with the spoon in his ice cream.

“W-well...” he said slowly. “If it were _me_... I would want someone to tell me how they’ll stay with me. Not die for me. Maybe... oh! Tell him ‘I’ll love you on your bad days as much as I love you on your good days.’ That should do it!”

Tristan grinned, feeling like he found a winner. Roman smiled in surprise and Thomas eagerly wrote that down.

“That _does_ sound rather nice,” Roman said. “Perhaps he’s right, Thomas. Reassurances that you will stay and love him. Thank you, Tristan.”

Tristan blushed even darker and shoved a huge spoonful of ice cream and peanut butter into his mouth.


	182. List

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton has a unique way of monitoring Virgil's health.

“It’s time for your Daily Dad Check!” Patton sounded excited as he held up his little notebook. 

Virgil set his phone aside, feeling a little excited as well. Today had actually been a good day. 

“Did you... go to bed at a reasonable hour last night?” Patton asked, readying his pencil. 

“I did,” said Virgil. “I went to bed at ten.” 

“Good job!” Patton checked that off the list. “And did you eat a good breakfast this morning?” 

“I did,” said Virgil. “I had... some brown sugar oatmeal with a banana.” 

“Wonderful!” Patton checked that off the list. “Have you drunk any water today?” 

“Two glasses,” said Virgil. 

“Good!” Patton checked that off the list. “You’re doing great so far. Did you remember to take your medication?” 

“I took it after breakfast,” said Virgil. 

“Very good!” Patton was grinning. “Last one. Did you exercise today?” 

“I took a walk not long ago,” said Virgil. “I just went around the block a few times. I’m cooling off now.” 

“Very good, Virgil!” Patton looked at his list. “You did everything on your list today. That means you get a gold star!” 

Patton peeled off one of the glittery stars and stuck it to Virgil’s calendar. Virgil saw the other stars on the days that had already passed. Most were gold, but there were a few silver, a few bronze, but very few had no stars at all. He still wasn’t doing everything perfectly, but there had been immense progress over the past few months. And even if a star system seemed childish, it helped Virgil see that he was doing better than he thought...


End file.
